Chapter 174: Chaotic Omens

When a hole appeared in the sky, everything fell into chaos.

……

On the northern grasslands, the Palace Master of the Five Absolutes Palace stood on the city wall, gazing at the chaotic sky.

"Chaos, chaos!" the Palace Master murmured, not knowing why, she began to worry about her own daughter. The Palace Masters of the Five Absolutes Palace throughout history must be ruthless and emotionless, obeying only themselves, even if it means sacrificing their own daughters and disciples.

"It seems this palace can no longer stand by idly..."

……

In the Sword-Leaning Tower, Shangguan Yunyi, who bore the reputation of the Sword King, stood on the upper floor's corridor, gazing at the distant sky.

The hole was in the distance, yet the gentle sound of flowing water was by his ears.

Bit by bit, drop by drop.

"Cough cough..." a sound came from behind Shangguan Yunyi.

"Oh? You're awake?" Shangguan Yunyi woke from his thoughts, turned around, and asked.

That person was the Sword Master, dressed all in white, lying on the bed looking at the ground, as if searching for sandals. When he lifted his head, the pallor on his face was whiter than his white clothes, describable only as "ashen"; he gave a wry smile and said, "I almost didn't wake up."

The Sword Master was still so suave.

"Qi deficiency, disordered meridians, still needs recuperation!" Shangguan Yunyi needed only a glance to know how the Sword Master's recovery was going.

"Being able to save one's life is already not bad."

"Hehe... now you cherish your life so much, yet you still choose death?" Shangguan Yunyi turned his body back, continuing to gaze into the distance, "Every family has a difficult scripture to recite... but it's easier for a lonely old man like me."

"Who isn't a lonely old man?" the Sword Master asked grimly, finally found his shoes, trudged down step by step toward the upper floor's corridor.

"Have you seen the distant sky?" Shangguan Yunyi asked the Sword Master.

"A marvel, a marvel! I never expected to see such a marvel in my lifetime!" the Sword Master exclaimed.

"I fear another calamity will befall heaven and earth!"

"I fear you can't spend your retirement here in the Sword-Leaning Tower." The Sword Master patted Shangguan Yunyi's shoulder.

The two of them stood there, like two long swords planted in the ground.

"How long will you need to heal your wounds?"

"At least half a year, maybe. Where is my long iron staff?" the Sword Master did not forget his ugly sword.

Actually he didn't need to ask; as long as he calmed his mind, his old companion would fly to his side on its own.

……

The three Seventh Heaven masters could no longer fight; each was severely injured, let alone sparring—even Chen Yi He and the others could not match them in battle.

"We'll see!" Dongfang Wuji snapped, then flew away in retreat.

Actually, given his usual temperament, he would never flee in such a sorry state, especially seeing Chen Yi He's group of weaklings who had ruined his plans. Moreover, having just taken a blow from Heaven's Command, his injuries were compounded. His mindset was now shattered—a proud Seventh Heaven master, a figure who once commanded the winds and clouds three hundred years ago, now wounded repeatedly; to spread this would be a laughingstock.

Fortunately, the figures from three hundred years ago are all dead; otherwise, if they saw or heard of this, they'd surely laugh themselves to death.

Everyone could only stand on the ground and watch; others could fly, but they could not—how could they catch them?

Eunuch Zhang shouted at the crowd, "It's all your fault!" He dumped all the blame onto Chen Yi He and company. Eunuch Zhang's injuries were worse than Dongfang Wuji's; at this point even his strength was failing.

"Heh, thanks to the three of you, you've torn a hole in the sky, then ask whether we're laughable?" Duan Sheng sneered and retorted.

"A skinny camel is still bigger than a horse," Eunuch Zhang showed no concern for his own safety, even though the crowd had surrounded him.

"Also true—maybe if you go back now, all you'll see are the ruins of the Western Depot?" Yan Shanhai said feigned lightly to Eunuch Zhang, "Burned to a crisp by a single fire."

"What?!" This was Eunuch Zhang's greatest worry! The rear courtyard had caught fire! He never imagined his opponent's speed would be so fast—in the blink of an eye they had killed right under his nose.

"The Western Depot is doomed!" Luo Qingkui shouted.

"Heh, you're overthinking it—are the Eighteen Riders of the Western Depot vegetarians?" Eunuch Zhang snorted, appearing completely unfazed, after all the Eighteen Riders of the Western Depot were each top-tier; facing Chen Yi He and company, he felt no panic.

Chen Yi He's heart sank at once—not just him, but Yan Shanhai, Tiger and Leopard, and the others also felt weakened; they never expected the Eighteen Riders of the Western Depot, even if Lu Qianchuan's dying cry had been tremendous, they had tossed it aside, having been drawn to the hole in the sky.

Eunuch Zhang seized on everyone's psychology at the moment, thinking even if the Embroidered Uniform Guard suffered heavy losses, the Eighteen Riders of the Western Depot could still hold firm, "You'd better think about how to collect your own corpses."

"Do you think you can still escape this time?" Chen Yi He asked Eunuch Zhang.

Although Heaven's Command had just struck him a blow, and there were Tiger and Leopard and the Western Desert Sword Demon, they had not used their true strength, merely a simple warning, so Chen Yi He remained steadfast.

"Why not?" Eunuch Zhang looked at the crowd and retorted, "Do you really look down on Seventh Heaven masters like that? Don't forget, that's a height you could never reach in a lifetime!"

All that was seen was Eunuch Zhang pushing off the ground, his whole body poised to leap high.

Yan Shanhai shouted, "Don't let him jump!"

Everyone certainly knew, but they could not stop him!

Eunuch Zhang summoned all his strength, shot up into the clouds, then vanished into the horizon. "Those of the Heavenly Dao will not spare us, and I will not spare you!"

"Damn it!" Chen Yi He gritted his teeth, snarling, the prey at his lips had fled again; he only hated that he lacked a pair of wings, otherwise Eunuch Zhang could fly out of the galaxy and he would still drag that old eunuch scoundrel back!

"Now is not the time for hatred; we must think of a countermeasure." Yan Shanhai said with a solemn face, "Three more fellows have popped up calling themselves 'God'—what has the world come to?"

Indeed, in the past many years, martial artists of the Fourth Heaven's Absolute Dao were already top-notch experts in the jianghu; but lately, Seventh Heaven masters have appeared one after another, and even three oddballs claiming to be "God" have shown up.

"You absolutely must not, under any circumstances, act against the Great Zhou Dynasty." The Imperial Elder spoke; just moments ago, while he had been silent, everyone had almost forgotten him.

Chen Yi He felt no fondness for the Imperial Elder; last time they met, he was forced to offer his own blood, though only a little, which he could not accept.

He thought the Imperial Elder looked much younger than before, completely like a young man—could it be that his blood had taken effect?