Free Web NovelChapter 166: Chapter 166: So Close
"What audacious thief dares to trespass in our Heroes Tower?"
As the voice rang out, the two guards at the entrance of the Treasure Pavilion leaped high into the air, spotting Shen Daoxing on the eaves above.
They gripped their sabers with both hands and chopped down fiercely.
Shen Daoxing sighed. He had no choice but to abandon his original plan. He swept out his Demon Soldier Poison Fiend, and a thick purple mist billowed out, obscuring his figure.
The two guards’ strike kicked up a violent gust of wind that instantly dissipated the purple mist. But by then, Shen Daoxing was already gone, flying off into the distance.
Heroes Tower was not only filled with geniuses from the East Continent’s Martial Arts Ranking but also Inner Sect Disciples from the Sacred Land. If they discovered him, he wouldn’t be able to escape.
Without hesitation, Shen Daoxing leaped away at extreme speed, making for the exit of Heroes Tower.
Fortunately, his escape was relatively smooth, with no one else trying to stop him. After a few leaps, his figure bounded between the buildings and quickly vanished into the darkness, leaving Heroes Tower behind.
But Shen Daoxing didn’t stop there. He continued to rush toward the outskirts of Ancient Moon City.
TAP! TAP! TAP!
Shen Daoxing’s toes tapped against the city wall as he vaulted over it, landing softly outside the city.
As luck would have it, just as he landed...
Shen Daoxing saw the man in black from earlier, carrying a huge bundle on his back, leap down from a nearby section of the wall.
"It’s you?"
The man in black didn’t seem to treat him like a stranger at all. Seeing Shen Daoxing, he flashed a dashing smile. "Thanks for drawing away some of the guards earlier, brother. Otherwise, I would never have escaped Heroes Tower."
"I wonder, which of our circles are you from, brother?"
The man in black asked enthusiastically. It seemed he was in an excellent mood, likely due to a bountiful harvest.
Shen Daoxing, however, was in a terrible mood. He had been just one step away from sneaking into the Treasure Pavilion, only to have his plan ruined by the man before him.
"So, which circle are you from, brother? The Poison Scorpion Sect? Or the Yu Ling Gang?"
The man in black remained just as enthusiastic, treating Shen Daoxing as one of his own. "I am Young Master Hehuan of the Asura Tower!"
With that, the man in black smiled faintly and patted the bundle on his back. "I’ve just acquired a wonderful prize. Would you care to enjoy it with me, brother? I guarantee it will be an unforgettable, ecstatic experience."
He finished with a meaningful wink at Shen Daoxing.
’Asura Tower again!’
Shen Daoxing was already seething with frustration. Upon learning the man’s identity, he didn’t hesitate. The Poisonous Fiend at his waist flew from its sheath in a flash of purple light.
Young Master Hehuan froze, his eyes widening abruptly. Then, his head slowly slid from his neck and hit the ground with a THUD.
As Young Master Hehuan died, the large bundle on his back slowly fell off.
A gentle breeze blew past, and the bundle slowly unfurled.
A beautiful, captivating figure was revealed inside, staring at Shen Daoxing with wide eyes.
’Dongfang Wan’Er?’
Shen Daoxing was stunned when he saw her. He never expected Young Master Hehuan to have kidnapped Dongfang Wan’Er.
At that moment, Dongfang Wan’Er was sitting on the ground, her hands forming a sign as they rested on her legs. Her face was deathly pale, with a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth. It looked like she had suffered a cultivation deviation.
Fortunately, Shen Daoxing’s face was covered, so Dongfang Wan’Er couldn’t recognize him.
Not wanting to expose his identity, Shen Daoxing turned to leave without a second thought.
Dongfang Wan’Er suddenly spoke up. "Who are you? You saved me from a villain’s clutches today. I, Dongfang Wan’Er, will surely repay this debt in the future!"
But Shen Daoxing said nothing. He didn’t even pause, his figure flickering before vanishing from sight.
Dongfang Wan’Er watched his retreating back, a little surprised.
’Who is she? She’s the Saintess of the Celestial Profound Sacred Land! A reward from her would surely be no ordinary thing.’
’And yet he left without the slightest hesitation.’
’Interesting!’
Dongfang Wan’Er suddenly grew interested in this man. He was the first person to ever disregard her so completely.
Then, Dongfang Wan’Er turned to look at Young Master Hehuan’s corpse. Although she had been inside the bundle, she had still felt the power of that sharp, decisive strike.
"Junior Sister Dongfang! Junior Sister Dongfang!"
Just then, a worried voice called out, and Gongsun Shiji leaped down from the city wall.
Seeing Dongfang Wan’Er’s pale face, he asked anxiously, "Junior Sister Dongfang, are you all right?"
"I’m fine!"
Dongfang Wan’Er shook her head. "If I hadn’t run into a problem with my cultivation, how could this scoundrel have ever succeeded?"
As she spoke, Dongfang Wan’Er shot a cold glance at Young Master Hehuan’s body.
Gongsun Shiji looked at Young Master Hehuan’s corpse with a confused expression. "What happened here?"
"We’ll talk back there."
Dongfang Wan’Er said flatly.
...
After leaving, Shen Daoxing circled the area outside the city. Once he confirmed no one was following him, he changed his clothes before re-entering Ancient Moon City. He returned to Heroes Tower, entered his private room, and sat on his bed to cultivate as if nothing had happened.
「The next day, at the crack of dawn.」
Everyone was woken and summoned to the terrace to be questioned about the previous night’s events.
As an important stronghold for the Celestial Profound Sacred Land at the foot of the mountain, Heroes Tower had been infiltrated. A thorough investigation was mandatory.
Of course, Shen Daoxing said nothing. He had merely spent the night cultivating in his room.
Today, Dongfang Wan’Er’s complexion looked much better. However, Shen Daoxing could clearly sense that her aura had weakened. It was very likely her cultivation realm had dropped again.
"Senior Sister, are you all right?"
Shangguan Yiran stepped forward, took Dongfang Wan’Er’s hand, and asked with concern.
"Don’t worry, Junior Sister Shangguan. It was just a petty thief."
Dongfang Wan’Er smiled faintly. She then looked over at Shen Daoxing and the others as if searching for someone. Her gaze paused for a moment when it swept over Shen Daoxing, but in the end, she found nothing and looked away.
With nothing found, Heroes Tower temporarily suppressed the matter. After all, the previous night’s incident was a great embarrassment to the Celestial Profound Sacred Land.
The geniuses from the East Continent’s Martial Arts Ranking all went back to their own cultivation.
Shen Daoxing stood on the terrace, gazing at the distant Treasure Pavilion. After yesterday’s incident, the number of guards there had increased. They were posted in front of the door, behind it, and even on the eaves.
Sneaking in now would probably be harder than climbing to the heavens.
Shen Daoxing shook his head and sighed, then turned to look at the various prodigies from the East Continent.
Shen Daoxing noticed that everyone in the top twenty of the Martial Arts Ranking was an absolutely stunning genius from the East Continent. The lowest among them were at the Eighth Layer of the Grotto Heaven realm, while most had already reached the Ninth Layer, just one step away from breaking through to the Spirit Transformation realm.
"Amazing! As expected of Sun!"
Suddenly, an excited voice cried out. Shen Daoxing turned to look and saw a crowd milling about at the base of the Celestial Pride Stele. It turned out the geniuses of the East Continent were challenging the stele.
The seemingly gentle and refined Sun Shufeng pushed off lightly with his feet and leaped into the air. His toes tapped against the stele as he ascended rapidly. However, his speed slowed the higher he went, and he clearly began to struggle. Finally, just as his strength was about to give out, he quickly etched his name onto the stele with his fingertip.
Although he was nowhere near Dugu Sheng in first place or Shangguan Yiran in second, he still managed to make it into the top ten.
