Stellar Transformation-Chapter 182: Episode 9 Sword Immortal Mansion - 3 Hidden Crisis
"Yan Mo, what do you mean by this!"
The Three-eyed Demon, who was originally sitting in meditation, suddenly stood up, his aura soaring, green hair fluttering, and the third eye on his forehead shining with a bright green light. At this moment, the Three-eyed Demon was furious, eyes glaring angrily at Yan Mo.
The True Masters of Penglai Immortal Domain, including Yan Xu, and the three brothers of Star Pavilion’s Qin Yu, also stood up abruptly, their eyes filled with cold fury as they stared at Yan Mo. The Azure Dragon’s brows were deeply furrowed, with cold flashes occasionally passing through his eyes as he looked at Yan Mo.
Yida’s face turned green as he pointed at Yan Mo and said, "Yan Mo, we the six powers agreed to let you join us, which naturally makes us a seven-party alliance. Since we are allies, why did you kill a member of our alliance without authorization?"
Yida’s tone turned colder, "If you feel like killing, you kill. What is this supposed to mean? Today you kill the three Di Long brothers; are we going to be your next targets tomorrow?"
No sooner had Yida spoken than the others became visibly more murderous, staring angrily at Yan Mo. It was obvious that any disagreement would likely lead True Master Yan Xu and the others to pursue and kill Yan Mo without a second thought.
Yan Mo’s strength was too great. To confront him alone, the combined efforts of the Azure Dragon, the Three-eyed Demon, True Master Yan Xu, and Yida were barely enough to suppress him. If they let Yan Mo go this time, and next time he killed one of the four, they would be unable to suppress him at all.
An unstable element could not be allowed to exist!
"Ah~~~" Yan Mo stretched lazily, then smiled amiably, "What’s going on? Everyone looks as if they want to kill. Have I done something to incur heaven’s wrath and people’s resentment?" Yan Mo looked genuinely puzzled.
The Azure Dragon narrowed his eyes and then said, "Yan Mo, ever since you joined us, we have considered ourselves allies. Now I ask you, why did you kill the three Di Long brothers? By killing a member of our alliance, how can we trust you in the future?"
"If we can’t trust you, how can we open the Nine Sword Immortal Mansion together?" The Azure Dragon stared at Yan Mo.
The representatives from the five powers of Penglai Immortal Domain, Purple Flame Demon Prison, Green Dragon Palace, Bishui Mansion, and Star Pavilion all looked coldly at Yan Mo, their attitudes unfriendly. At this moment, the other five parties had clearly united, and only by banding together could they fully suppress Yan Mo.
"Don’t be disrespectful to the master," the Snow Cat issued a cold rebuke, causing Qin Yu and others to change their expressions. On the surface, the Snow Cat appeared to be a cat, but in reality, it was the Divine Beast Zhe Chu, who had reached the Mid Cave Void Stage. As a Divine Beast in the Mid Cave Void Stage, the Snow Cat’s strength was also extremely formidable.
"Little Xue, be polite to our guests," Yan Mo scolded in a low voice.
"Yes," the Snow Cat immediately responded, and then stood beside Yan Mo without saying anything more.
Yan Mo smiled at the angry crowd, "Ah, is it just this minor affair? I thought it was some serious matter." Yan Mo spoke with an air of indifference.
"A minor affair? Killing them is a minor affair? If you kill me in the future, would that be a significant matter or a trivial one?" True Master Yan Xu said coldly.
"Of course, it’s a significant matter," Yan Mo replied in surprise, "True Master Yan Xu, as the Great Elder of Qingxu Temple in the northern Chaotic Star Sea, you have such a high status. If I killed you, the Qingxu Temple from Tenglong Continent would surely send experts to trouble me. Why would I be so foolish as to kill you?"
True Master Yan Xu was taken aback.
Qin Yu, Azure Dragon, Yida, and the rest of the group were also momentarily stunned.
Yan Mo spoke very seriously, "The sects of Penglai Immortal Domain are nothing more than a subsidiary of the sects on Tenglong Continent. Although your strength is average, you still have the support of powerful sects behind you. I wouldn’t be so foolish as to provoke you."
Yan Mo then looked at Yida and the others, "The same principle applies. I won’t offend the people of Purple Flame Demon Prison lightly. The power of Demon Cultivators in Tenglong Continent is almost on par with that of the Cultivators."
"And about Bishui Mansion, Three-eyed, you haven’t used your third eye’s full power yet, have you?" Yan Mo said with a smile.
The eyes of the Three-eyed Old Demon turned frosty, before he still responded with a cold voice, "You’ll know once you taste it."
Yan Mo laughed carelessly, "I’m not eager to try. Although I’m much stronger than you and confident in killing you, the Three-eyed Green-eyed Toad belongs to the more formidable among divine beasts. If it were to strike in desperation using its third eye, even I would be severely injured. I’m not yet inclined to make such a losing deal."
Normally, the attack from the third eye of the Three-eyed Old Demon was just a regular attack, but once it faced death, a desperate strike using the third eye could unleash a force so strong that even Yan Mo would not dare to underestimate it.
"As for the Azure Dragon, which family from the Dragon Clan do you hail from?" Yan Mo asked.
The Azure Dragon grinned, "Yan Family, Yan Mo, it seems you have forgotten about me."
Yan Mo paused briefly before chuckling, "The Yan Family, I didn’t expect to meet a clan member here. The Yan Family has a large population within the Dragon Clan, with plenty of peers. I know only two or three, and I’m not acquainted with, nor do I care to know the others."
"Azure Dragon, I won’t kill you, and the reasons go without saying. That the Dragon Clan has sent you to the north of the Chaotic Star Sea shows their high regard for you. If I were to kill you, any old monster from the Dragon Clan could avenge you, and even the inner layer controllers couldn’t protect me."
As a descendent of the Dragon Clan, Yan Mo was, of course, aware of the Dragon Clan’s formidable strength.
"As for the Star Pavilion, I’ve heard that the Star Pavilion is backed by an Independent Immortal—Master Qin Yu’s uncle, isn’t he? Azure Dragon, do tell, what level is that Independent Immortal?" Yan Mo asked with a smile that seemed overly enthusiastic.
The Azure Dragon frowned at Yan Mo, "Yan Mo, back then you were so cold and proud, when did you become so suave and slick?"
Yan Mo was taken aback.
Cold and proud?
The Black Dragon of the Yan Family was indeed cold and proud, an exception among his peers. Yet... after so many years of struggle in the Primordial Wilderness, Yan Mo had changed immensely.
As memories of his days amongst the Dragon Clan and the many years’ experiences surfaced, Yan Mo felt a spell of haziness in his heart. However, in an instant, he regained his composure and smiled at the Azure Dragon, "I asked you, and now you’re asking about me. Tell me, what level is Master Qin Yu’s uncle, the Independent Immortal?"
"Uncertain."
A trace of doubt lingered in the Azure Dragon’s eyes, "Yan Mo, that Uncle Lan of Qin Yu is extremely powerful. I feel that Uncle Lan is even mightier than the strongest expert I’ve seen from the Dragon Clan. That means... at least a Sixth Tribulation Independent Immortal."
"At least a Sixth Tribulation Independent Immortal?" Yan Mo fell silent.
"I once saw his Uncle Lan taking Qin Yu and Hou Fei with him, performing Instantaneous Movement. Instantaneous Movement is a divine skill only a Fourth Tribulation Independent Immortal can use, and Qin Yu’s Uncle Lan actually took two people with him to do so. That level of skill..." the Azure Dragon shook his head with a bitter smile.
Yan Mo’s expression turned grave, "It seems he is more than just a Sixth Tribulation Independent Immortal."
While Yan Mo and the Azure Dragon conversed, True Masters Huo Tian and Di Feng were casting cold glances at True Master Yan Xu, for initially, Yan Xu had told them that Lan, Qin Yu’s uncle, was just an ordinary Independent Immortal not worth worrying about.
However, having heard this, it seemed that Uncle Lan was incredibly formidable.
Anyone over a Fourth Tribulation Independent Immortal required caution, let alone a Sixth Tribulation Independent Immortal. Such a level signified a super expert whom even the Sect Masters of the Tenglong Continent would regard with caution.
"Haha, Brother Qin Yu," Yan Mo slung an arm around Qin Yu’s shoulder.
Qin Yu couldn’t help but feel a sudden shock in his heart, yet he still controlled the impulse to attack Yan Mo. Though having Yan Mo sling an arm around his shoulder made him uncomfortable, Qin Yu trusted that Yan Mo probably wouldn’t attack him.
Yan Mo draped an arm around Qin Yu’s shoulder, speaking enthusiastically, "Brother Qin Yu, so you see, there’s no need for you to worry. Although I, Yan Mo, am bold, I’m not tired of living just yet. With Uncle Lan possibly being able to erase me with just a finger, even a Divine Beast at the Great Success Stage wouldn’t be his match. Tell me... do I dare to kill you?"
Qin Yu was speechless.
Although everyone understood this logic, there was really no need to say it out loud. This Yan Mo... truly was an unusual character indeed.
Qin Yu also felt that ever since Yan Mo found out about the true strength of his Uncle Lan, his attitude towards Qin Yu had changed significantly.
"Everyone understands now, right? Although I, Yan Mo, have a backer, if I were to die... I’m afraid the Dragon Clan wouldn’t bother with it anymore. Azure Dragon, you know I’m not lying, right?" Yan Mo’s mouth twisted into a bitter smile.
The Azure Dragon gave a slight nod.
How reckless was he in his youth, and what did he know? Losing the powerful backing of the Dragon Clan might not be a blessing for Yan Mo. Under the protection of the Dragon Clan’s wings, he may not necessarily be able to truly grow up.
Yan Mo swept his gaze over the crowd, smiling, "Alright, at least I, Yan Mo, won’t be foolish enough to go against any of you. As for why I killed Di Long and the other two? Hmph, the three of them are just three Purple Evil Flood Dragons with hardly any backing or background to speak of, and I even suspect... how the Nine Evil Hall ever became one of the major forces in the Overseas Cultivation World?"
Yan Mo looked puzzled, "Just The Nine Evil Hall, talk about strong experts, they have none. Talk about backers, they have even less."
"And to think they even wanted to raid the Nine Sword Immortal Mansion for treasure, aren’t they afraid of getting their hands burned by Immortal Artifacts?" Yan Mo’s eyes showed disdain, clearly amongst the Six Great Forces of the Overseas Cultivation World, he held the Nine Evil Hall in the least regard, which was also his reason for taking action.
Yan Mo looked at the crowd, "I’m just wondering, why didn’t you guys kill them and take the Jade Sword for yourselves? In the end, it became my windfall."
Upon hearing what Yan Mo had said, the hostility of the others diminished.
Azure Dragon laughed, "Yan Mo, back when I was fiercely competing with the Three-eyed Demon, these nine little bugs appeared. Relying on Formation, the combined strength of all nine increased significantly. Even I found them somewhat troublesome. I simply let them become the third force of the Undersea Demon Cultivators, sandwiched between me and the Three-eyed Demon, adding more stability to the Undersea Demon Cultivator World."
"Oh, so that’s how it is," Yan Mo realized.
The Nine Evil Hall was the product of balance; the Green Dragon Palace and Bishui Mansion were of similar strength, and their fights were overly intense. Neither wanted to fight anymore, hence they let the Nine Evil Hall play a buffering role in the middle. In fact, the Nine Evil Hall wasn’t taken seriously by either the Green Dragon Palace or Bishui Mansion.
******
The Nine Evil Hall.
In the Soul Jade Scroll chamber, where daily inspections were conducted, it was time for another check today. The Guard Captain, with drooping eyes and a listless demeanor, opened the door to the chamber and scanned the counter with a glance.
At the top, there should only be four Soul Jade Scrolls, given that the other five ’Highnesses’ had already died.
"Ah!" The Guard Captain’s eyes bulged, and his mouth fell wide open, as if he had lost his voice; no sound came out. At this moment, he seemed as if he had been struck by Heavenly Thunder, utterly stunned.
The Nine Evil Hall’s most powerful members were Di Long and Di Jian. Although five ’Highnesses’ had died, with these two, the Nine Evil Hall was still relatively stable.
However...
On the counter’s top, where there should have been four intact Jade Scrolls, now only one remained whole. The other three representing Di Long, Di Jian, and Di Xu were completely shattered. The Guard Captain, of course, knew what this meant.
After swallowing to moisten his parched throat, the Guard Captain realized the severity of the situation. He dared not raise his voice loudly, striving to calm his fear. First, he applied the Sealing Technique to close the door and then hurriedly headed toward Di Nai’s hall.
"Your Highness Nine, the Guard Captain in charge of the Soul Jade Scroll repository requests an audience."
"Let him in."
Di Nai’s expression was somewhat unpleasant. The Guard Captain of the Soul Jade Scroll repository was the last person Di Nai wanted to see—his arrival meant that someone important from the Nine Evils Hall had undoubtedly died.
As soon as the Guard Captain entered, he immediately knelt down.
The sight of the Guard Captain’s demeanor sent a jolt through Di Nai’s heart.
At this moment, the Guard Captain’s eyes were slightly red, his pupils filled with shock, and his lips turned white. Although he was forcibly suppressing his fear, his demeanor betrayed his terror. What on earth could scare the Guard Captain this much?
"Speak, what exactly happened?" Di Nai asked coldly, his own breathing becoming heavy.
"Your, Your Highness." The Guard Captain’s throat seemed as dry as a traveler who hadn’t had water in a long time, "Your Highness, the Great Highness and the others... they... they..."
Upon hearing this, Di Nai felt a sudden dizziness in his head, but still clung to a sliver of hope as he continued to inquire, "Speak clearly, what has happened to them? If you lie to me, I will scatter your soul to the winds."
Only a sliver of hope.
"Dead, all dead." As the Guard Captain said this, he collapsed to the floor, sitting down. Although he felt physically collapsed, the Guard Captain felt a certain peace in his heart, as the immense pressure of keeping such significant news to himself was too much to bear.
"I understand. You may leave now and tell no one else of this," Di Nai said quietly, as if nothing had happened.
"Yes." The Guard Captain hastily retreated.
Di Nai sat there in the chair, very quietly. However, he did not notice his complexion had turned deathly pale.
Emptiness, his mind was a complete blank.
Di Nai just sat there, his mind seemingly racing with many thoughts, yet at the same time feeling as though he thought of nothing. Time lost all meaning in that moment, and it was only after a long while that Di Nai began to feel his heart... aching painfully.
The palace maids did not dare approach, as Di Nai had been sitting there coldly for three whole days. Yet, the maids did not know that these three days felt endlessly long for Di Nai, yet also seemed to pass in just an instant.
"Hu, hu, hu..." His breathing was heavy, like a bellows. His head spun with dizziness. It was after an indeterminable amount of time that Di Nai began to feel a sense of discomfort. His face turned purple, his right hand clutching at his heart— it hurt so much, as if it were being torn apart.
"Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother..." Images of the nine brothers adventuring in the Undersea Demon Cultivator World surfaced in Di Nai’s eyes.
"No, Big Brother and the others may not necessarily be dead; it’s not certain yet. Yes, that Guard Captain must be lying to me, deceiving me," Di Nai murmured lowly, his eyes turning bloodshot, appearing almost mad as he suddenly left the hall and dashed directly toward the repository of the Soul Jade Scrolls.
(End of Chapter Two! Push a man too far, and what will Di Nai, now at the edge of the precipice with nothing left to consider, do next?)
(To be continued... For further updates, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM. There are more Chapters to support the author and genuine reading!)
