Death… and me

Chapter 912: The Sudden Appearance of Nineteenth Master Xiao

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Not much energy was exerted in speaking these few words, but everyone could clearly hear them.

Although that person spoke it indifferently, it’s full of bleakness and boredom, as if he couldn’t raise his spirits in front of the hundreds of experts of the Ye clan.

Everyone from the Ye clan woke up instantly, and walked out of their tents, looking into the distance.

They saw that above a tree 400 to 500 feet away, there was a figure standing with his hands clasped behind his back. He was looking up towards the sky, and his black robes fluttered in the wind.

He gave people the feeling that this person would be gone with the wind at any moment and vanish in the expanse of heaven and earth.

“This elder is…” Fourth Master Ye, Ye Wutian, mustered his courage and asked, “What are you here for?”

The man in black continued to look up at the sky. Then, he slowly lowered his head and gazed deeply at Ye Wutian.

The moment his eyes came into contact with Ye Wutian, Ye Wutian felt that that person’s eyes suddenly turned into a starry night sky, and instantly, he felt dizzy even from the bottom of his divine spirit. Although he stood still, he felt that his divine spirit had already turned upside down.

Ye Wutian couldn’t help but hold a hand on his forehead, and he tried hard to close his eyes. Then, he groaned, “Elder…”

He couldn’t speak further.

Everyone was stunned.

Although Ye Wutian only addressed that person, everyone knew Ye Wutian was already asking for mercy as he said this one word.

Ye Wutian ¹ , who was also known for his lawlessness, actually became like this? It was conceivable how strong the opponent was.

The man in black raised his head up again, and looked at the bright moon in the sky a little sorrowfully. After a long, long time, he said lightly, “Ye Wangran, if you don’t come out, I’ll go in.”

His voice was soft, but the threatening tone in his voice was obvious.

If you don’t come out, I’ll attack! These few experts that you have aren’t even enough for me to kill! If you don’t want your Ye clan members to die in my hands, then come out now!

Although this sentence wasn’t said, everyone in the Ye clan was clearly aware of the existence of such a sentence!

At the same time, a spell of death enshrouded the entire region, and it gradually spread out. It was faint, and it was hard to catch its presence.

The man in black on the tree let out a soft sigh. There was a hint of helplessness in the sigh.

Everyone sensed what this sigh meant: Ah, I can’t control the spell of death well. My cultivation still isn’t enough…

Everyone was at a loss of what to say.

Only Supreme Martial Artists above the fifth stage could make the spell of death invisible. This man in black in front of them could already make the spell of death hard to catch the presence, but still, he wasn’t satisfied…

A voice rang heavily from the Ye clan’s camp, “Such a decisive battle was originally intended for the junior generation to vent their frustrations, and the older generation to practice their cultivation… Why has your Xiao clan sent such an expert like you here?”

There was a little dissatisfaction in his voice. Obviously, he was blaming the Xiao clan for making such a big fuss over a small matter.

“Haha… older generation?” the man in black on the tree said as he let out a slight chuckle, “Ye Wangran, who’s… from the older generation?”

Ye Wangran said, “Isn’t it us?”

The man in black on the tree became silent. At the next moment, he suddenly used the power of his divine spirit to let out a yell, “Ye Wangran!”

Along with this yell, all the experts from the Ye clan felt an ocean of blood appearing in the conscious space of their divine spirits.

After that yell, that ocean of blood suddenly surged up huge waves! Bright red color connected with heaven and earth, and there’s no other color in sight.

They couldn’t help but shut their eyes and shake their bodies. They dared not open their eyes for a long time. Every one of them looked dumbstruck.

A black figure flew out from the Ye clan’s camp. After flying near the ground for 300 feet, he turned around elegantly and rushed up towards the sky, like a rocket, to arrive at a height of 500 feet above the ground, then he flew backward.

The distance between him and the man in black pulled apart again. He settled at the top of the tree 300 feet away from the man in black.

All his movements were smooth. From flying on low grounds, then turning around, rising up to the sky, retreating backward to standing still on the tree, he didn’t exchange a breath.

He was really more flexible than a bird.

But Ye Wangran looked cautious and grim. Looking at the man in black clothes and veil opposite him, he took in a deep breath and said, “You’ve such great forces in your divine spirit!”

The man in black snorted and said, “Ye Wangran, which generation of the Ye clan are you from?”

Ye Wangran straightened his back and said, “I’m the 65th generation of the Ye clan and the direct line of descent of the Ye clan. I’m positioned number six in our clan!”

Although he didn’t acknowledge his opponent to be his senior, the fact that he answered the opponent’s question truthfully already showed his attitude: I’m lower than you in terms of seniority.

The man in black let out an ‘oh’, then said with a slight smile, “65th generation… Erm, I remember that I’m the 59th generation… Haha… I didn’t expect there’s already someone from the 65th generation of the Ye clan who has become a Supreme Martial Artist.”

He seemed to look blank for a while. After a long time, he asked, “How’s Elder Ye Di?”

Ye Wangran was silent for a while before he said, “He’s alright!”

Since he didn’t know the opponent’s identity, he could only mention vaguely about this.

“Erm…” The man in black seemed to be very satisfied with Ye Wangran’s answer. He sighed, saying, “How many years have passed… This moon today is still the moon in the past.”

This made Chu Yang, who was hiding in the Nine Tribulations Space, almost want to laugh aloud: If the bright moon isn’t the bright moon in the past, can it even be a sun?

Ye Wangran deeply agreed with the words. He actually also sighed, saying, “In this versatile world, the only thing that remains unchanged is this moon…”

The man in black said lightly, “The law of nature also doesn’t change!”

Ye Wangran shuddered. Then he said respectfully, “Elder, thank you for your teaching. Yes, the law of nature also remains unchanged.”

The man in black nodded gratifyingly. “You learn well!”

His hands were still clasped behind his back as he looked at the moon. He said in an ethereal manner, “Today, the moon is bright while the stars are dull. I suddenly feel a little sorrowful… So I decided to come out and have a walk…”

Ye Wangran said respectfully, “I see.”

The man in black continued to say, “The enmity between the Ye clan and my Xiao clan has lasted for a long time. But both sides have been cordial to each other all along, and even if life and death matters do occur, they won’t go to war against each other. Ye Wangran, do you know why?”

Ye Wangran said respectfully, “Back then, nine of our elders swear to the Nine Tribulations Sword that we descendants of the Ye clan will be brothers to one another forever. If there is any one of us unworthy to be part of the Ye clan, he shall be executed by the nine great clans together.”

The man in black nodded slowly, saying, “After I finished my closed-door training, I looked at the moon and it stirred up my emotions. Then, I got to know that your Ye clan has carried out an attack against us, so I decided to come out to walk around.”

Ye Wangran groaned in his heart: You wanted to come out to walk around… But why did you come to find me? How can I stand against you in walking around…

“Then, I suddenly got to know that there’s someone from the Ye clan who’s called Ye Wangran…” The clothes of the man in black fluttered silently in the air, and so he smiled silently. “This name exactly describes the sorrow I have this night ² … So I came to have a chat with you.”

Ye Wangran’s face looked bitter. He thought: It turned out to be the fault of my name. He asked, “May I know who you are…”

The man in black laughed. “I’m the 59th generation of the Xiao clan and ranked 19 in my clan. So do you know who I am now?”

Ye Wangran instantly changed color on his face. He looked even more respectful now, and said, “Elder, so you’re Nineteenth Master Xiao who’s known back then for breaking the ground with only a stroke of the sword! Back then, the Three Disaster-Making Supremes adventured in the South-East region and claimed that they were unparalleled, and you were sent by your clan to kill these three people; It was said that you defeated them with only a stroke of the sword! This made these three people submit to you, and from then on, they disappeared from the martial world… It was said that the stroke of the sword that you made was called ‘Mountain- and River-Moving Technique’!”

The man in black seemed more solitary. He said indifferently, “This is a past event. There’s no use in mentioning it now.”

Ye Wangran said, “Yes.”

The man in black stood quietly and still as if he was caught in the memories of the past.

He didn’t move. Ye Wangran didn’t dare to move either.

He didn’t talk. Ye Wangran also dared not to talk.

The forces of divine spirit exerted by this man was a complete blow to him. Now, Ye Wangran completely believed that this man in black in front of him was that Nineteenth Master Xiao who once dominated the Upper Three Heavens as well as all the experts in the world!

Legend had it that although the rank of the Xiao clan’s descendants after his generation exceeded this number ’19’, no one dared to be ranked ’19’!

Ever since Nineteenth Master Xiao utilized that Mountain- and River-Moving Technique, his rank prevailed.

In the face of such a legendary character, even Ye Wangran, this Supreme Martial Artist, also had to show visceral reverence towards him!

After a long time, this ‘Nineteenth Master Xiao’ flicked his sleeves, and he fluttered off the tree, flying into the shades of night. He said lightly, “Come with me.”

Then he flew away without turning his head back.

Ye Wangran kept up with him without hesitation.

In front, this ‘Nineteenth Master Xiao’ wasn’t traveling at a fast pace. At least, in the eyes of Ye Wangran, this Supreme Martial Artist, the speed was really not fast. It was at least the speed that a Martial Saint would travel…

Ye Wangran really didn’t understand why ‘Nineteenth Master Xiao’, this elder, would want to travel at such a slow pace and wasn’t in a hurry at all when this elder wanted to have a chat with him.

But ‘Nineteenth Master Xiao’ had his hands clasped behind his back all along. Facing the moon and clear sky, this ‘elder’ flew forth elegantly. It seemed that as he was flying forth, he was also thinking about his past, being sentimental, and trying to understand something…

Such ethereal posture of the ‘elder’ made Ye Wangran act cautiously, and he even dared not to speak which would otherwise disturb this ‘elder’. And he could only travel as fast as the elder. So, Ye Wangran conscientiously traveled 200 feet behind the elder and followed behind his back patiently.

“Ye Wangran, look at the scenery of this South-East region. How is it?” this ‘Nineteenth Master Xiao’ spoke again as he continued to fly on. He seemed to be testing Ye Wangran.

Ye Wangran looked around in midair, and praised, “The mountains are magnificent, towering and precipitous, and the heaven and earth look just like they are one body. This kind of scenery is really unmatched in the world. It’s no wonder that the Xiao clan can produce so many experts in such a beautiful place.”

“Haha…” ‘Nineteenth Master Xiao’ shook his head slightly accompanied with soft sounds of laughter.

“Elder, what do you mean?” Ye Wangran asked humbly.

“Back then, I was fortunate to be able to visit the sceneries of Zhongdu together with Ye Di. Ye Di asked me: Nineteenth, what do you think about the sceneries of Zhongdu?” Nineteenth Master Xiao said lightly.

Ye Wangran instantly raised his spirits and said, “Then, elder, what did you reply then?”

The two silhouettes drifted quietly across the sky like flowing clouds.

Ye Wangran suddenly felt there were four strong auras hiding beneath them, but ‘Nineteenth Master Xiao’ didn’t react to them, so Ye Wangran pretended that he didn’t sense them, and continued to follow behind ‘Nineteenth Master Xiao’.

They are only four Martial Saints…

Since Nineteenth Master Xiao has come personally, how could he devise a sneak attack?

For this, Ye Wangran had unconditional trust towards the demeanors of elders!

Not only him, but this also applied to everyone from the nine big clans. If such unparalleled experts lay hands, they would definitely cause the earth to shatter and mountains to crack! Why would they still need to carry out sneak attacks or device conspiracies?

Besides, Ye Wangran was filled with curiosity and had a strong thirst for knowledge. He knew that since this ‘elder’ said to bring him here, then this ‘elder’ meant to teach him something. Usually, a word of advice from such experts was far better than decades of hard practice in martial arts.

How would Ye Wangran be willing to let go of such an opportunity?

‘Nineteenth Master Xiao’ smiled slightly, and flew for some miles like a light wind, before he stopped and said, “Back then, when Ye Di asked me this question, I thought, why did he ask me this question?”

He said lightly, “But when I asked you just now, you replied to me without hesitation. This means that you didn’t think about it.”

Sweat instantly soaked Ye Wangran’s body!

It was a vast difference between taking the initiative to think and not thinking at all!

“Elder, please point out.” Ye Wangran only felt a cold breeze sweep by and he felt a chill over his body. At this moment, he actually had the sense that autumn had come.

“Back then, I thought about it and answered: There’re ages to come for both Zhongdu and South-East region,” ‘Nineteenth Master Xiao’ said smilingly.

Ye Wangran started to ponder on the words.

There’re ages to come for both Zhongdu and South-East region.

The tone isn’t soft when he said this. He’s clearly comparing the Xiao clan and Ye clan. And, he’s really quite bold to be able to say this in front of Elder Ye Di. I really wonder what comment Elder Ye Di gave back.

As he thought, he asked, “Elder, how did Elder Ye Di reply you?”

‘Nineteenth Master Xiao’ shook his head smilingly. He said, “Back then, Elder Ye Di said: Nineteenth, you’re really clear-eyed and talented in your generation!”

Clear-eyed and talented in your generation!

Ye Wangran shuddered. He pondered carefully on the meaning of this sentence. This sentence obviously had some derogatory connotations but also had some positive meanings to it. But why did Elder Ye Di say this?

He thought for a long time but couldn’t find an answer. He finally asked, “Then, Nineteenth master, what do you think of my answer?”

He seemed to be comparing himself to that ‘Nineteenth master’ back then.

He wanted to know the difference between him and ‘Nineteenth master’.

Unwittingly, ‘Nineteenth Master Xiao’ had already led Ye Wangran to drift across four or five mountain tops and got far from the Black Pine Forest.

…