Chapter 980: Ruthless Liu Zong
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The moment when Liu Zong’s voice faded, the ancient tree that was centered near his body had numerous leaves flying between heaven and earth. There were no rules for the leaves that flew in the sky, shrouding this s.p.a.ce, covering the sky, and instantly enclosing the s.p.a.ce where the Celestial Dragon Matrix was located.
Sharp sizzling sounds were heard, particularly grating to the ears. Every leaf turned into fierce shards of Sword Will. Each shard contained the ripping rule that was meant to cut all things, subtly intending to tear the entire s.p.a.ce to pieces.
Liu Zong still stood there quietly without the slightest bit of emotion on his face. A very barbaric spiritual power exuded from him, and numerous remnant illusions of Liu Zong appeared as if the world was filled with him.
The Buddha said that each flower was a world in itself, and each leaf signified the entire tree. He had made these endless leaves turn into slaughtering debris, and even if the Celestial Dragon Matrix had unparalleled defense, it was still going to be crushed within. Yang Xiao clearly felt the immensity of this power. He looked up and saw that the whole world seemed to resonate with Liu Zong’s spiritual will power. Liu Zong, at this moment, was like the master of this s.p.a.ce.
Once, Yang Xiao had been quite impressed with Liu Zong. He was able to crack the Celestial Dragon Chess Game under those conditions. Even if Li Kaishan deliberately threw the game, it was still a remarkable accomplishment. So he chose not to say anything, but leave the choice to the Master. He had never thought that this seemingly insignificant detail would now change everything. But regret was too late now. All he could do was kill Liu Zong and take revenge.
A muddled sound came out from the dragon, and the Celestial Dragon Matrix that was centered on Yang Xiao kept marching forwards like a golden divine dragon rus.h.i.+ng forwards, its claws reaching forth intending to tear everything that was in front of him.
Seeing what was in front of him, Liu Zong understood what Yang Xiao was trying to do—fight with him But, did Yang Xiao qualify?
The endless leaves turned into a devastating storm, slaughtering toward the dragon. The Celestial Dragon made an incredible angry roar and kept moving forward in Liu Zong’s direction, aiming to kill.
Liu Zong stretched out his palm and suddenly clenched it in Yang Xiao’s direction. With a cold voice he spat out, “Die.” As soon as he finished speaking, the storm vortex slashed into the golden divine dragon and every leaf was turned into the sharpest blade in the world, cutting at the body of the Celestial Dragon and slowly chopping off the immense body of the dragon bit by bit. Within the Celestial Dragon Matrix, many had blood flowing out of their bodies, and those terrible leaves were cutting directly on their torsos. However, the people inside the Celestial Dragon Matrix seemed to have forfeited their lives and continued in the direction of Liu Zong without hesitation.
A flash of coldness crossed Yang Xiao’s eyes, and he released his spiritual willpower to the maximum. The storm covered the world with destruction and annihilated everything within it. He did not believe that with this level of rules sorcery he couldn’t kill his sworn enemy.
The body of the Celestial Dragon gradually shattered, and the leaves like sharp blades crossed the void, cutting toward the body of Yang Xiao. There were crunching sounds that were heard, and bright red blood bloomed. A sardonic smile emerged on Liu Zong’s face. This battle should have ended now, and the people of Chess Saint Villa should have all perished.
Looking at the leaves flying toward Yang Xiao, his smile was somewhat evil, but at this time, there was suddenly an incomparable thunder clapping, sweeping through the sky. In front of him, a thundering authority suddenly exploded around Yang Xiao and everything was destroyed. After the Celestial Dragon Matrix was torn apart, Yang Xiao had even made a thundering war matrix that destroyed everything in front of him as easily as breaking bamboo. It was a matrix that would kill the enemy no matter the cost.
In the hands of Yang Xiao, a divine implement appeared. It was a silver long halberd, which was the divine implement used by Ge Feng, who was the leader of the Nine Warriors of Zhisheng Cliffs
“Kill.” The divine implement moved forward, no matter the cost, just to kill Liu Zong. For this reason, Yang Xiao even deliberately feigned weakness, causing the illusion that he was about to be torn and shattered. He even had many wounds on his body, bleeding, demonstrating his strong determination to kill Liu Zong.
“Condensate.” Liu Zong’s palm moved forward, and the endless leaves formed a vortex that gathered in front of him, turning into a metallic defensive wall, blocking Yang Xiao. But how could such a hasty defense block the attack of this thunder?
With a shockingly thundering boom, the defensive force was instantly torn apart and shattered. The long halberd pierced into the body of Liu Zong directly, and the destructive thunder extinguished all signs of life, completely cutting off Liu Zong’s escape.
“Die,” Yang Xiao screamed with anger He looked crazed at the moment, his eyes fixed on the figure in front of him. Liu Zong’s body became blurred as if he might be shred to pieces at any time, under the destructive lightning and thunder of the sky, killed by a single blow. However, at this moment, Yang Xiao seemed to have an illusion. Liu Zong’s face was changing constantly. Sometimes it was Liu Zong’s and sometimes it was another person’s. His facial expressions turned from leery to condescending as if to be sarcastic.
“Why would it be me?” With a chilling scream, the body exploded and was annihilated under the rays of the thunder. Yang Xiao’s face was stern, and his eyes turned to look at the person on the side. It was Liu Zong who stood there. Not only him, but everyone currently within the matrix was staring at Liu Zong as well. He felt a coldness that bit through the bones.
“How is it that he didn’t die?” Yang Xiao’s eyes stared at Liu Zong. How was this possible? He saw with his own eyes that the divine implement had pierced into Liu Zong’s body, but why was it another who died?
Not only was Yang Xiao unable to understand it, but even those within the matrix could not understand it either. But at this time, they also felt very cold. The dead, like them, were all top figures from Xihua Sacred Mountain, but they took Liu Zong’s place to die. What in the world was going on?
“Liu Zong, what is going on?” A cultivator questioned coldly. Liu Zong did not tell them anything about this situation.
At Xihua Sacred Mountain, Liu Zong’s status was extremely high. He had been taught by all three saints, who prepared him to be the future master of the Xihua Sacred Mountain. They were also willing to a.s.sist, but that did not mean that they were willing to be set up by Liu Zong and die in his stead. After all, Liu Zong did not yet have the charisma for others to give up their lives for him.
Ye Futian had elevated the status of the Holy Zhi Palace in the Barren State so much that it now has its current appeal. Liu Zong merely enjoyed the success of the others, so it was impossible that there would be top figures who were willing to die for him.
“Don’t blame me, senior brothers. This is the matrix sanctioned by the master for killing. As long as I am alive, this matrix will keep running and remain invincible, killing on the battlefield. So, I have to beg your pardon,” Liu Zong said.
The faces of those cultivators in the matrix had changed. Liu Zong’s meaning was easy to understand. In the matrix, they were his p.a.w.ns. As long as he was there, keeping the matrix running, it meant that everyone else could die, except him?
Then they remembered that in the Nether Sword Mound, this junior brother of theirs had used great capability to help the Chess Saint escape, and if it were not for it being destroyed by Ye Futian, he would have only been a step away from succeeding.
At the time, Chess Saint had arranged a matrix, but it was a sacrificial matrix that used the disciples of the Chess Saint Villa as sacrifices. It was because of this that Yang Xiao and Liu Zong now had a vendetta. Furthermore, the sacrifice at the time was not only limited to the disciples of the Chess Saint Villa, but also included the cultivators of Xihua Sacred Mountain and the Great Zhou Sacred Dynasty. So today, this matrix… When they thought of this, they felt a cold shudder.
“No need to guess, senior brothers. This matrix is based on a tree. The roots of the ancient tree take all the nutrients and spread its branches and leaves. I am the root of the matrix, so naturally, you brothers can lend your power to me through the matrix; it is the same with your lives.” Liu Zong continued, “This battle is very important for Xihua Sacred Mountain, and all you senior brothers are fighting for Xihua Sacred Mountain. If you die in the battle, Xihua Sacred Mountain will not forget you.”
Yang Xiao saw that this scene and did not immediately react. He stared hard at Liu Zong and the people of Xihua Sacred Mountain. How ironic. It seemed everything that had happened in the Nether Sword Mound was once again repeating, but this time Liu Zong was even more ruthless.
There was a cultivator of Xihua Sacred Mountain who attempted to break away from the matrix, but found that he was unable to do so. His power was uncontrollably flowing to Liu Zong, even with his spiritual will. At the time of setting up the matrix, they did not have any hesitation and never doubted Liu Zong, voluntarily lending their strength to Liu Zong. They didn’t expect that it would be used to bind them now.
“What a good junior brother,” one person said coldly.
“Senior brother, I have said that this battle is very important for Xihua Sacred Mountain, and this matrix was also sanctioned by the Master. If senior brother refuse to cooperate, then it is equivalent to betraying Xihua Sacred Mountain. Don’t be surprised when I discipline the traitors.” Liu Zong was aggressive in his stance, and he waved his palm. The person who had spoken suddenly appeared pale in the face and was attacked by a powerful spiritual will. He couldn’t help but groan.
“Sure, sure, of course, I will cooperate with my junior brother.” That cultivator of the Xihua Sacred Mountain was filled with hate in his heart. Saint Xihua was so cold-blooded. Although they were not disciples of saints, it was not easy to cultivate to their level today. But in the eyes of Saint Xihua, none of them were as valuable as one Liu Zong, and they could all be sacrificed for Liu Zong.
“In this case, first kill Yang Xiao, then go get Ye Futian,” Liu Zong said. As his voice fell, his eyes once again looked toward Yang Xiao, his look filled with terrible killing intention. He was careless before. If he had already set up this matrix, that blow would have been enough to kill him. Yang Xiao wanted to b.u.t.t heads with him.
Rustling noises were heard, and the branches of the ancient tree covered the sky, covering the s.p.a.ce. It fully wrapped Yang Xiao and the others inside. The branches and leaves swung in the void at will, but a terrible rules power of ripping permeated from them, as if once it chopped down, they would be able to chop through people.
“You can die now,” Liu Zong said, and suddenly, endless branches and leaves slashed toward Yang Xiao. Yang Xiao, who was covered in blood, had the coldest eyes. Although he still had a terrible intent to kill, he was beginning to understand that with Liu Zong’s setup of the matrix, he had no chance to kill him.
This great vendetta, was there no way to avenge it? He was full of hate. He held the divine implement tightly in his hand. Even if he knew that he would die, Yang Xiao would still try his best with his last breath.
“Kill!” With a loud scream, Yang Xiao rushed to the front, and the willow branch came down, pouncing on him.
“Here,” behind him, a voice came, and then an immense sword will swept from the sky. Behind Yang Xiao, there was a river of swords coming. At the same time, there was another force descending, and it was a powerful spiritual willpower that could control this entire s.p.a.ce, affecting the speed of that branch that was coming down!