Free Web NovelChapter 189: Chapter 189: There’s a Problem with His Identity
Having made his decision, Shen Daoxing swept a hand over his Sumeru Ring, stowing the Celestial Flame Divine Saber and the Celestial Judgment Sword Technique within it.
Then, he quietly turned to leave.
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
Suddenly, the sound of clapping rang out as Dongfang Wan’Er stepped forward. "Alright," she announced, "the Celestial Profound Sacred Land’s assessment is now concluded. Those who placed in the top eight may enter our Sacred Land’s Inner Sect."
As she spoke, Dongfang Wan’Er pointed a hand to the sky. A beam of silvery-white light shot upward, vanishing into the Cloud Sea.
Not long after, a fierce wind suddenly whipped through Heroes Tower.
SKRAW—
A crane’s cry echoed through the heavens.
Everyone looked up.
At first, they saw a white dot, which rapidly grew larger. A colossal Xianhe descended from above the Cloud Sea, landing in an open clearing.
The Xianhe was enormous, likely large enough to carry over a hundred people.
With the Xianhe’s arrival, Dongfang Wan’Er leaped to Shen Daoxing’s side. She gave a charming laugh and grabbed his arm. "Let’s go, my dear junior brother. Come with Senior Sister up to Yuqing Mountain."
Without waiting for a refusal, Dongfang Wan’Er began dragging Shen Daoxing toward the Xianhe, looking for all the world like she was determined to whisk him away.
Shen Daoxing was stunned.
Just then, Shangguan Yiran smiled faintly. "Senior Sister Dongfang, Shen Daoxing is a disciple of our Yunxiao Mountain. Just where do you think you’re spiriting him away to?"
Dongfang Wan’Er covered her mouth with a hand, laughing again. "Oh, my! Junior Sister Shangguan, why must Yunxiao Mountain be so stingy? It’s not as if I won’t give Shen Daoxing back. I’ll just borrow him for a few days on Yuqing Mountain, then I’ll return him to you."
Shen Daoxing’s expression was one of pure shock. He turned and shot a pleading look at Shangguan Yiran.
But Shangguan Yiran simply gave a dazzling smile. "Of course. Senior Sister Dongfang, just remember to bring him back!"
Shen Daoxing was left speechless.
"Let’s go!"
Dongfang Wan’Er laughed, giving Shen Daoxing no chance to resist as she pulled him insistently toward the Xianhe’s back.
But at that very moment...
"First strike."
An icy voice rang out, and an instant later, a vicious flash of sword light materialized without warning between Shen Daoxing and Dongfang Wan’Er.
Startled, Shen Daoxing shoved Dongfang Wan’Er aside and leaped back, narrowly dodging the attack.
BOOM!
With a deafening blast, the sword light shot past, carving a deep Sword Mark into the ground.
Shen Daoxing followed the voice with his eyes and saw Yuwen Sword Fool, who had been standing silently off to the side, slowly sheathing his sword.
Dongfang Wan’Er looked up, stunned to see that the attacker was Yuwen Sword Fool. "Sword Fool, what do you think you’re doing?"
Yuwen Sword Fool pointed at Shen Daoxing and said flatly, "There’s something wrong with his identity."
"What’s wrong with it?"
Dongfang Wan’Er froze.
"I suspect," Yuwen Sword Fool said dispassionately, "that this Shen Daoxing is the Celestial Slaughter Star."
Hearing this, Shen Daoxing’s expression faltered. ’This is bad,’ he thought.
"What? The Celestial Slaughter Star?"
Dongfang Wan’Er gasped and covered her mouth, looking at Yuwen Sword Fool in disbelief. "Sword Fool, do you have any proof? You can’t just slander someone without evidence."
At this, the stoic Yue Wuchen, standing to the side, gently waved a sleeve. An Ancient Copper Mirror materialized in his hand. He aimed it at Shen Daoxing, but its surface merely remained a hazy blur, showing no change.
This was the Heaven-Peeping Mirror, given to him by the Celestial Secret Elder. It was supposed to react in the presence of the true Celestial Slaughter Star, but at this moment, it showed no signs of anything unusual.
Even so, when Yue Wuchen looked up at Shen Daoxing, he showed no intention of speaking in his defense.
"Proof?"
In response to Dongfang Wan’Er’s challenge, Yuwen Sword Fool simply replied, "I have none."
"But a lack of proof doesn’t prove that Shen Daoxing *isn’t* the Celestial Slaughter Star! The Celestial Slaughter Star is the primary target on the Steward Hall’s execution order. We Steward Disciples cannot simply ignore this. As for his true identity, I’ll find out for myself with a little test!"
With that, Yuwen Sword Fool shot into the air, his expression still impassive. He raised his sword and lunged at Shen Daoxing with the speed of a thunderclap.
Caught by surprise, Shen Daoxing hastily raised the Poisonous Fiend in his hands to defend himself.
CLANG!
A clear ring echoed.
Yuwen Sword Fool’s sword smashed against Shen Daoxing’s, sending sparks flying everywhere.
Shen Daoxing felt an immense force slam into him. The blood and qi in his body churned violently. He stumbled back several steps before managing to steady himself.
’This is no test,’ he thought. ’Yuwen Sword Fool is clearly trying to kill me.’
Without giving Shen Daoxing a moment’s rest, Yuwen Sword Fool’s figure vanished. He reappeared an instant later, directly in front of Shen Daoxing.
Saying nothing more, he raised his Taotie high and brought it down in another terrifying slash. The sinister blue sword light distorted the very space around it, tracing faint cracks in the air.
Shen Daoxing hastily thrust his Poisonous Fiend upward.
CLANG!
A deafening crash.
Shen Daoxing felt a cataclysmic force roil through his body. He could clearly tell that the man before him, Yuwen Sword Fool, was also in the Spirit Transformation realm, but he was far stronger than Ren Changfeng. The difference was like that between heaven and earth. Critically, he didn’t have the aid of the Martial Kingdom’s ancestors this time.
Seeing that Yuwen Sword Fool looked ready to kill Shen Daoxing, Dongfang Wan’Er cried out in alarm, "Senior Brother, are you insane?"
As she spoke, she shot to her feet. A flash of white, and she suddenly appeared in front of Shen Daoxing, her arms spread wide to shield him.
A moment later, a clear phoenix cry resounded from within her. Like a rainbow piercing the sun, Dongfang Wan’Er’s graceful figure lashed out with a palm strike.
Yuwen Sword Fool’s eyes grew cold. "Get out of my way!"
The Taotie in his hand sliced through the air.
A blinding blue light erupted in mid-air.
Dongfang Wan’Er cried out, spitting a mouthful of blood as she was sent flying backward.
Her cultivation had already been weaker than Yuwen Sword Fool’s to begin with, and now her realm had fallen drastically due to a training mishap. She was no match for him.
Up on the Cloud Platform, Shangguan Yiran, who had been watching from her private seat, frowned. "Yuwen Sword Fool, this is an abuse of public power for a private vendetta! Shen Daoxing is already a disciple of our Sacred Land. Aren’t you afraid of punishment under our sect’s rules?"
Shangguan Yiran knew that the Ancient Sword Marquis was a disciple of the Steward Hall’s Master, so she was well-versed in its affairs and naturally understood Yuwen Sword Fool’s intentions.
However, Yuwen Sword Fool acted as if he hadn’t heard Shangguan Yiran at all. Without giving anyone a chance to react, he raised his Taotie and resolutely attacked Shen Daoxing once more.
CLANG!
The crisp sound of swords clashing rang out once more.
But this time, it was not Shen Daoxing’s sword that parried the blow.
Instead, the Ancient Sword Marquis had appeared before Shen Daoxing at some unknown moment, blocking Yuwen Sword Fool’s attack with his own blade.
Seeing who had arrived, Yuwen Sword Fool hastily withdrew his Taotie Treasure Sword, halting his assault. His face darkened as he stared coldly at the figure before him. "What do you think you’re doing, kid?"
