Devouring The Heavens

Chapter 277: An Arrow

Everyone present sharply inhaled. Those who cultivated the Gold Qi felt as if their spirits were oppressed, painfully wincing at the pressure.

“The Gold of the Dark Phoenix…”

Someone suddenly screamed. Huolie, noticing this small distraction, immediately started running away. Xuanyuan simply laughed, straightened his back and pulled the bowstring back. Aiming at Huolie, he fired. The rain of golden arrows combined to form a golden phoenix, and rushed at Huolie.

“Crack!” The prohibitions on Huolie’s armour cracked, unable to protect him. The arrow continued on, disregarding any sort of defensive enchantment, and pierced through his leg, breaking his thigh. Enchantments of any sort were futile in front of the Dark Phoenix.

Huolie lost his balance, one of his legs suddenly being broken. He rolled onto the ground, blood flowing profusely, his clothes now dirtied.

“That’s the left leg down, time for your right leg.” An innocent smile graced Xuanyuan’s face, further terrifying everyone present. He once again drew the bowstring, this time aiming at the right leg.

Everyone felt chilled to the bone. Xuanyuan was merciless. He didn’t care where he was. Well, considering the fact that he annhilated the Hai Family within their own grounds, he definitely wasn’t concerned with killing someone on his home turf.

Huolie howled with pain, and pleaded, “Brother Xuanyuan! Please have mercy on me! I was wrong, oh so wrong!”

“Brother Xuanyuan? How amusing. You think you have the qualification to consider yourself on my level? Pathetic.”

Immediately changing his tune, Huolie continued pleading, “Elder disciple Xuanyuan, please spare me. It was all my fault, I was presumptuous. I implore you!” The ground around him was bloodstained, his wound growing larger.

Huolie, an emperor realm fighter, with the strength of 7000 dragons, couldn’t stand up to someone in the grandmaster realm. Instead, he was lying on the ground, pleading for his life.

The disciples, who once admired Huolie’s strength, now looked at him contemptuously.

“Go to hell!” Xuanyuan released his bowstring with a snap.

Same as before, the arrow formed a golden phoenix, this time rushing towards Huolie’s right leg. Sensing that he was about to lose his other leg, Huolie closed his eyes and shrieked. Just before the arrow hit him, a strong force destroyed the phoenix.

“Younger disciple Xuanyuan, please, restrain yourself.” A gentle voice rang out. Everyone looked around, seeing Jiang Yitian appear. His appearance immediately changed everyone’s expressions.

“Haha, Elder brother Jiang has arrived. Is Xuanyuan gonna still remain as arrogant as before?”

“No way, Xuanyuan may be strong, but he’s no match for Elder brother Jiang.”

Sighing with relief, Huolie thanked Jiang Yitian, “Thank you for saving me, Elder disciple Jiang.”

Simply nodding, Jiang Yitian channeled a light in his hand, and directed it towards Huloie’s wound, stopping the bleeding. He looked towards Xuanyuan and chuckled, “I didn’t expect you to progress this far in a mere two years.”

Smiling coldly, Xuanyuan replied, “I still need to show you my gratitude for your ‘gift’, don’t I? Wash your neck and wait for me.” He knew that Jiang Yitian didn’t mean a single word, and that he was cunning and sly. However, he wasn’t afraid of him.

Now that Jiang Yitian had appeared, Huolie regained some of his bravado. “How bold of you Xuanyuan. You don’t bow to elder brother Jiang?” Turning to Jiang Yitian, he implored him. “Brother Jiang, please punish Xuanyuan. He dared to kill my brother, Huo Tao, in front of everyone on the Stage of reward and Punishment. Such a transgression mustn’t go unpunished.” Furious at the humiliation he had faced, Huolie seeked Xuanyuan’s death to appease his rage. Now that Jiang Yitian had appeared, Huloie knew that he was safe.

Pridefully taunting Xuanyuan, he said, “Do you still dare to kill me now that Brother Jiang is here? Why don’t you show me what you can do now?”

Xuanyuan wasn’t phased by Jiang Yitian’s appearance. Casually, he stated, “I, Xuanyuan, do not harm those who are kind, nor those who haven’t harmed me. However, ever since I’ve started on the path of cultivation, I’ve not once kneeled to anyone, not the sun or the moon, not to the heavens nor the earth. I didn’t even kneel in front of the master of the Land of Darkness. Yet you expect me to kneel in front of Jiang yitian, of all people. You think you’re safe, hiding behind Jiang Yitian. How foolish. I’ll show you exactly how wrong your misconceptions are.”

Laughing, he sneered, “If I use the last promise of the NIghtmare Ghost, I could even kill the master of the Land of Darkness. What do you think would happen to your dear elder brother Jiang if I used it on him instead?” Despite his light expression, a strong murderous intent emanated from him. The Emperor of the Five Elements materialised behind him, causing elements to roll around him.”

Everyone was awestruck at his display of confidence.

“What audacity! He says he could even kill the master?! Bullshit!”

“He is far more domineering than what the rumours suggest. I’ve never seen anyone with absolutely no fear.”

“Of course. He has the power to back his words, these aren’t empty threats.”

Huolie turned pale. Even Jiang Yitian’s expression changed, frowning slightly. He lightly said, “Younger brother Xuanyuan, you’re still so very impulsive. However, I still don’t think you’re the kind of person who would do anything without considering the outcomes.”

Ignoring Jiang Yitian, Xuanyuan continued to gather the energy of the five elements using the Five Element Emperor. A sharp, five coloured arrow gradually formed in his hand, filled with a fierce Qi.

Frowning, Jiang Yitian continued, “Brother Xuanyuan, please reconsider. Forgive and forget what has happened.”

Xuanyuan mockingly laughed, “ Cut the bullshit. I have my own convictions that I live by, one of them being to mercilessly crush those who have harmed me.” Saying those words, Xuanyuan drew his bowstring and fired the arrow at Huolie.

“Crackle!” The air tingled with the energy of the arrow, lighting up the sky. The power of his five element emperor combined with a xian class instrument couldn’t be underestimated.

Jiang Yitian made no motion to move, simply conjuring up a bronze mirror in front of him, gleaming with a simple light. When the arrow crashed with the mirror, surprisingly, the arrow shattered.

Seeing this, Huolie laughed with relief. “You traitor. We must kill you for your crimes, otherwise how will we uphold the laws of the sect?”

Instigated by Huolie’s words, several of the other true disciples in Jiang Yitian’s faction began to speak up.

“Death to Xuanyuan. he is far too audacious, he must be punished.”

“Huolie is right, we must kill Xuanyuan!”

“Despite the grace with which Elder brother Jiang treated him, Xuanyuan still dared to raise his hand against him.” Hidden in the crowd, an emperor realm associate of Jiang Yitian further incited the flames of rage.

Influenced by the crowd, more disciples started joining in, clamouring for Xuanyuan’s death. The death threats kept spreading through the air, resonating throughout the Stage of Reward and Punishment.

Despite the crowd surrounding him, Xuanyuan still had a carefree look on his face. He simply looked at Jiang Yitian’s associate, shooting a malicious smile at him, and then once again looked at Hulie. He pulled his bowstring back once more.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to protect him this time.” The sky tingled with the energy of the five elements being condensed around Xuanyuan.

Jiang Yitian once again summoned the bronze mirror and gently said, “Brother Xuanyuan, how about this? I’ll let you attack once again, however if I manage to stop it, I would like for you to let this matter go.”

“Elder disciple Jiang! You can’t let him off that easily! He will just continue to do this in the future. We must uphold the rules of the sect.” exclaimed Jiang Yitian’s confidant.

Murmurs ran throughout the crowd, agreeing with what was just said. A small number of the crowd kept quiet, however. They didn’t want to unnecessarily antagonise Xuanyuan.

Suddenly, an emperor realm fighter of the Nu Xian mountain shouted, trying to keep the flames fanned, “That’s right, Elder brother Jiang! We must uphold the discipline and values of the sect.”

Apparently, they wanted to force Xuanyuan to use up the last promise he held. Not noticing the background incitement, the crowd was unknowingly swept along with the atmosphere. Xuanyuan was suddenly in the eye of the storm, the focus of everyone’s rage.

Completely unaffected by his surroundings, Xuanyuan simply looked at Jiang Yitian.

“Very well. I shall let him go if you manage to block my attack. However, what are you going to do if you can’t block the attack?”

“In that case, I can’t save him.” Jiang Yitian softly replied.

“Haha. Very well. But please remember your words, I’m not going to hold back.” Drawing the bowstring, Xuanyuan began to channel the energy of the five elements into an arrow more powerful than any before. He seemed to be in the middle of a storm of the five elements, the Five Element Emperor standing dominant behind him.