Chapter 81: Nuo Mask Venerable

Ye Chen decisively handed the fragments to Hunyan, then himself charged at the three.

They wanted to flee; facing them head-on was obviously not a match for Ye Chen, even though their cultivation surpassed Ye Chen's, they had just faced him head-on earlier, but they still did not want to fight Ye Chen.

Although Ye Chen's cultivation was lower than theirs, his erupting power far surpassed theirs.

Moreover, the headquarters is here, and their bodies still contain the prohibition planted by their "God"; if they flee, that prohibition will take their lives.

Ye Chen saw that they clearly knew they couldn't win yet still didn't run, and he faintly formed a guess in his mind.

"Looks like your God isn't exactly a benevolent sort."

After saying that, Ye Chen charged at the three.

Meanwhile, Hunyan, although located at Ye Chen's brow, did not hinder its control of the fragments.

At that moment, in the Ten Thousand Things Mirror, a figure roughly similar to Ye Chen gradually emerged, but before it could step out of the mirror, Hunyan controlled the fragments to strike the mirror.

The Ten Thousand Things Mirror was ultimately just an imitation, moreover a poor imitation; before the fragments of the ancient simple black sword, it didn't even last three breaths before shattering with a boom.

After Hunyan controlled the fragments to smash the Ten Thousand Things Mirror, it then directed the fragments at the three; in an instant, Hunyan eliminated one of them.

Ye Chen, seeing Hunyan act like this for the first time, grew ever more curious just how strong Hunyan at its peak truly was.

But now was not the time to think about that; his aura erupted, bearing matchless power, as he charged at the remaining two.

The two gritted their teeth and clenched their fists.

To flee is death, to not flee is also death; they simply decided to self-detonate.

Whether they live or die, if they could drag Ye Chen down with them before death, they would not lose out.

But their calculations were destined to come to nothing.

The reason is simple: during their battle with Ye Chen, Hunyan had already controlled the fragments to pierce their bodies.

Foundation Establishment cultivators are not so easy to kill, but the power of Hunyan plus the fragments, at the instant the fragments pierced their bodies, their vitality was utterly destroyed by the combined force of the two.

"All right, we can go."

Hunyan said to Ye Chen.

Upon hearing Hunyan's words, Ye Chen lightly nodded.

Afterward, he again gazed at the azure sky; as he looked at the sky, he slowly extended his right hand, then suddenly he extended his index finger—those who understand, understand—that is the international friendly gesture.

After making that international friendly gesture, his form vanished instantly; after his form disappeared, several cultivators flew out from the M Guo cultivators' headquarters.

They looked at the three Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer cultivators lying dead on the ground, beyond dead, and frowned.

"Grand Arbiter, what should we do next?"

A middle-aged man in formal attire, his face grim, shook his head and sighed upon hearing that.

"That person's strength is too great; our lord ordered us to kill him, but now we are utterly powerless against him. I will go to ask our great lord for more aid."

The Grand Arbiter finished speaking and walked toward their headquarters; the cultivators who had come out with him, upon seeing the Grand Arbiter leave, exchanged glances and all departed.

Moreover, the powerful beings in Xingkong, upon seeing Ye Chen's gesture, were greatly angered.

Although they could not enter, they could barely peek at the lives of people on this planet, so they naturally understood the meaning of Ye Chen's gesture.

"Looks like they're tired of living now!"

"Esteemed Founder, why are you still so impatient? What status do you hold now, and you still care about this?"

"Gu Lan, if you don't speak, no one will take you for a mute!"

"Sorry, I speak as I wish; if you don't like that kid, you can send your juniors in—we can't get in, but they can. Though now only Qi Refining cultivators can enter, and I'd guess they'd just be bringing him food."

After Gu Lan spoke, Esteemed Founder's killing intent burst forth: "I may be a mighty power, yet I'm being mocked by a wet-behind-the-ears brat—I can't swallow this anger!"

"It's not like you lack a mouth—what's there to swallow?"

"Gu Lan, you!"

"What's it to me? I'm just curious why you're targeting that kid."

Gu Lan seemed indifferent to Esteemed Founder's mood and spoke on his own.

"It's none of your business."

Esteemed Founder said coldly.

"If it weren't for my adorable great-grandson insisting on coming, I'd go back to fetch her—I wouldn't be unaware of why you're targeting that kid."

"Gu Lan, get lost! I'll surely have a great-granddaughter someday!"

Gu Lan's words seemed to say "If you don't speak, just forget it," but he actually meant, "I have an adorable great-grandson, unlike you, who have a bunch of male brats that are just annoying to look at."

"Alright, alright, stop arguing—two mighty beings quarreling in Xingkong, even if it gets out, we won't lose face."

Suddenly, a bewitching woman appeared in Xingkong; at the moment she appeared, space itself twisted.

"Nuo Mask Venerable, when did you arrive?"

Esteemed Founder asked.

"Me?"

As Nuo Mask spoke, she took on Esteemed Founder's appearance.

"I just arrived~"

Seeing "Esteemed Founder" speak in a coquettish manner, Gu Lan, despite having lived tens of thousands of years, couldn't help but laugh.

"Hahaha."

After hearing Gu Lan's laughter, Nuo Mask turned, looked at Gu Lan, mouth slightly open, "Gu Lan..."

However, before she could finish speaking, Gu Lan bolted away in a puff of smoke—perhaps the fastest he has ever run in his lifetime, aside from when he was fleeing.

Nuo Mask Venerable, the myriad faces of all beings; due to the special nature of her cultivation method, she must continually assume others' forms, and the more people she imitates, the stronger she becomes.

No one has seen her true form; the only thing known is her gender, but in the cultivation world, gender is useless—for the strong, male or female makes no difference.

"Oh dear, is there something terrifying on her? Running this fast, you people make her feel hurt."

As Nuo Mask spoke, she turned around, intending to say a few words to Esteemed Founder, but as she turned, she saw a receding black dot—that was Esteemed Founder.

"How can it be like this? She's so sad."

Although the mask said that, a smile hung on her face; not long after, she changed her visage—it was the face of a bewitching woman, but her body was that of a man.

"Oh dear, I changed wrong again—I'm almost forgetting who I am."

The mask muttered to herself, she just stood there in the void, saying nothing, doing nothing.

After who knows how long, a gleam appeared in her bewildered eyes: 'I've remembered—I am... the appearance of all beings; this is... my name, but it seems not my name.'

The mask said, her figure slowly vanished into Xingkong.

……