Chapter 536: Chapter 525: The Sword Cultivator Father
The feathers were burnt to a crisp; the Little Golden Crow was truly enraged this time, setting the sky ablaze with vast expanses of golden-red flames. Although it deliberately restrained the flames from spreading towards Ye Qiu and the Tianyan Sect cultivators, the temperature was still incredibly high. If it weren’t for the protection of the Immortal Cauldron, Elder Zhao and the others felt they would have sublimated on the spot.
However, those outside who had designs on Ye Sheng’s Immortal Cauldron were not so lucky. Almost the instant they came into contact with the flames, they were incinerated, their Primordial Spirits unable to escape.
Even the cultivators who had managed to distance themselves from the area still harbored fear of the flames’ heat, their shock indescribable.
Through their experiences over time, everyone had come to recognize the potency of Lin Shen’s Strange Fire, but it was not until this moment that they truly realized what constituted a top-tier flame.
All the cultivators present began to doubt the origins of the Little Golden Crow, as it had vanished completely after spewing that fiery blast.
"What’s going on?"
"Where did it go?"
"What kind of bird is this? What kind of flames are these?"
"That was terrifying, just a step away."
Within the space, the Little Golden Crow had fallen back into slumber, and with the sight of it being alright except for exhaustion, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Elder Zhao, what relation does that bird have with your Tianyan Sect?"
"What species is it, and where does it come from?"
Ever since Elder Zhao and the rest emerged from the Immortal Cauldron, the cultivators present showered them with questions.
He glanced at Ye Qiu cryptically, and seeing him looking baffled, suppressed his frustration and said to the crowd, "I am not clear about it either. If such a formidable bird belonged to our Tianyan Sect, why would we hide it from everyone? We are all at a loss about why it appeared and why it suddenly attacked. Thankfully, Ye Sheng timely formed a pact with the Immortal Cauldron, otherwise, our Tianyan Sect’s people would have been in danger. If it were our sect’s bird, would it have disregarded our safety?"
Heeding Elder Zhao’s explanation, the others could not press any further, as they had all witnessed the recent events, indeed Ye Sheng had timely bonded with the Immortal Cauldron.
Yet, it was hard for them to let go of finding a bird related to the Immortal Realm, along with a thread of hope for ascending to the Immortal Realm, and they felt resentful at the thought of giving up so easily.
All because that Tribulation Crossing Old Monster had to meddle with that little bird for no reason!
But now, since the old monster had perished completely, there was nowhere to seek redress.
Such deep regret! Why did that bird have to appear here at this time?
In truth, many still suspected the Tianyan Sect, because the timing of the bird’s appearance was too perfect, almost as if specifically to extricate the Tianyan Sect from a predicament.
Yet, now that the Tianyan Sect denied any connection, they couldn’t pressure this colossal entity. What was happening? They were offered hope, only to have it reclaimed in an instant?
To become an Immortal! Had the Heavenly Dao truly abandoned them?
"Ye Sheng, by choosing this time to refine the Immortal Cauldron, are you intending to respond to Lin Shen’s Life and Death Arena?" Just when everyone was immersed in their sorrowful thoughts about ascension, a cultivator remembered this matter, diverting everyone’s attention back to it.
Ye Sheng looked back at the speaker, then answered without any hesitation: "Yes!"
"Whoa..." The crowd erupted into surprise, clearly not expecting such a straightforward answer. Wasn’t this just a joke? What business does an Artifact Refiner have competing in a Life and Death Arena against a Magic Practitioner? With your skill in artifact refinement, which Tribulation Crossing Old Monster couldn’t solve the problem of Lin Shen for you? Why insist on taking matters into your own hands?
"Isn’t this a death sentence?"
"Too impulsive." The crowd discussed fervently.
"Ye Sheng, reconsider!" Someone couldn’t bear to see a generation’s Artifact Refining Master fall like this and shouted loudly.
Ye Sheng looked over gratefully: "Thank you all for your concern, but my mind is made up. I will return in ten days to resolve things with Lin Shen. I hope everyone will be there to witness it."
"Sigh!"
Not only Elder Zhao, but also other cultivators unrelated to them were deeply pained, as if foreseeing the dimming of a rising talent.
"Ye Qiu, don’t you have anything to say?" Elder Zhao bared his teeth at Ye Qiu who seemed indifferent as a father.
Ye Qiu had a sharp gaze; though worried, he was more encouraging: "Elder Zhao, the feud between Sheng’er and Lin Shen has been long-standing. If I interfere too much, it will only affect Sheng’er’s cultivation. Besides, you have to believe in him; Sheng’er might not necessarily lose."
"But that dark flame of Lin Shen..." Elder Zhao started to speak but instantly shut his mouth, thinking how the small bird that spewed out the heart-palpitating flame was closely related to Ye Qiu and should in no way let harm come to Ye Sheng!
With this in mind, he refrained from advising further. Though the path ahead was obscure, if one shrank back now, there would truly be no hope for a lifetime.
"By the way, where’s Lin Shen? And the people from Four Seasons Peak? Why haven’t I seen them?" Elder Zhao suddenly seemed to remember this, frowning in displeasure.
He knew very well how unfeeling and merciless the people of Four Seasons Peak were. With such a commotion, they couldn’t possibly be unaware; yet, not a single one came out to help, showing just how cold-blooded they were.
No, he could not tolerate it any longer. Since they were so indifferent, why should the sect unconditionally support them? He definitely needed to bring this up with the Sect Leader upon his return.
Unfortunately, what Elder Zhao didn’t know was that just one day ago, the cultivators from Four Seasons Peak who practiced the Heartless Dao had already been cleanly dealt with by Lin Shen.
"How are you feeling now?" the person in Lin Shen’s mind asked.
"Quite well." The blood-red in Lin Shen’s eyes faded away, returning to a cold, indifferent appearance, only now with an added three parts of malicious energy.
"Ye Sheng has accepted the challenge." Suddenly, a contract emerged at the bottom of Lin Shen’s heart, and a cruel smile appeared on his lips.
What is the Life and Death Arena?
It is a place where when one person issues a challenge and another accepts the duel, a contract with Heaven and Earth is formed. Both parties must fight in the arena within the allotted time, and the Array will only be deactivated once one person dies.
And if one accepts a challenge but fails to honor it, the Heart Demon will haunt them for life.
So when Ye Sheng personally dripped blood onto the Life and Death Arena to accept the challenge, the cultivators knew there was no turning back. Once the blood traced a complete circle around the arena, the Array would be immediately activated.
"Sheng’er, you must win this battle!" Ye Sheng had never been so serious, "I’ll be waiting for your return."
Ye Sheng had grown into a handsome young man, standing tall as Ye Qiu, with a stable demeanor and confident tone: "Please rest assured, Father, I will definitely not let you down."
"Heh heh... It’s not good to be too overconfident." Lin Shen, accompanied by a murderous aura, laughed at Ye Sheng, appearing without anyone knowing when.
As soon as he appeared, the cultivators keenly sensed something was off. The aura on Lin Shen now seemed abnormal, and in just a few days, he had broken through from the Mid Void Refining Stage to the Late Stage Peak. What exactly had he done, and why was the Evil Energy on him so heavy?