Chapter 485: Chapter 483: Xi Hai and Chen Tianqiong

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Hon smiled slightly, his figure dissolving into a streak of rainbow light and vanishing without a trace.

Xu Yang’s eyes flashed with confusion, his pupils contracting, mind violently shaken.

"Your Highness, spared my life?"

"Zhao Hon, Hon..."

"Gu Hong!"

Xu Yang cried out in shock, his face full of astonishment and disbelief.

In Daqian, the only one he’d wanted to kill but ultimately spared—

Was none other than the former Forbidden Army Grand General, Gu Hong!

And now, this man was called Zhao Hon!

There was no way this was a coincidence.

"How is this possible? Didn’t Gu Hong fall at the Inverted Five Elements Heaven-Slaying City?"

"His appearance, his aura..."

Weren’t disguised at all.

And yet, how much time had passed, and he already possessed True Monarch Shenxiao cultivation? Everything about it was utterly inconceivable.

Staring at the empty air ahead, Xu Yang couldn’t help but rub his temples.

He could be sure—Zhao Hon was Gu Hong!

Not only had he not died, he’d also undergone such a drastic transformation. If there was any explanation, it could only be because of Can Sutian.

Can Sutian had arranged everything.

That’s right.

The True Monarch-level phalange—Can Sutian had given that to Gu Hong.

With it, he broke open the Inverted Five Elements Heaven-Slaying City and fell, but perhaps he’d kept a strand of true spirit alive.

Then, found a new body!

But the Wuxiang Celestial Tomb...

"It’s still Can Sutian!"

A gleam flashed in Xu Yang’s eyes.

He slowly turned and glanced at the mountaintop.

Gu Hong had come here, likely for the token as well.

Yet in the end, the token fell into his own hands.

Xu Yang took out the token again, unable to suppress a bitter smile.

There was no need to overthink the reason—Gu Hong must have realized Xu Yang was here, or perhaps for other reasons, and left the token for him.

Does Can Sutian know the token’s true power?

Xu Yang wasn’t certain.

But right now, a wave of prickling fear washed over him.

Can Sutian, he truly is terrifying!

Unseen, unnoticed—his designs already set up within the Spirit Realm!

Those two treasures, as well as Wuxiang Celestial Tomb—if they were exposed, even the Seven Great Powers would be shocked senseless.

Who could guess how many killing moves or trump cards would be unleashed then?

"Enough—what matters is raising my own strength as fast as possible!"

Xu Yang gripped the token tightly, stifling the urge to discard it, and took a deep breath.

Gu Hong’s sudden revelation of his identity immediately made Xu Yang feel a tremendous sense of pressure and threat.

That Can Sutian—he surely knew he’d joined the Battle King Clan. Who could say if, someday, he’d use him for some ulterior plan?

Can Sutian’s schemes weren’t something you could escape just by fleeing far enough.

That much, Xu Yang had come to understand deeply in Daqian!

"Damn it!"

Xu Yang cursed inwardly, sullenly hurrying away.

Out in the courtyard, Ning Wuyang still hadn’t left.

Seeing Xu Yang, he hurriedly asked, "How’d it go?"

"Got it."

Xu Yang pushed aside all miscellaneous thoughts and handed the token over.

Ning Wuyang froze for a moment then carefully examined it, his expression becoming odd. "Are you sure this is the token?"

No wonder he was suspicious.

It really was just so ordinary.

Though the utmost of ordinary is extraordinary—since it’d come from the first Emperor of Daqian, how could it be normal?

Still, should it be this unimpressive?

"Even Senior Qingxu couldn’t peer into its mysteries or tell its function; all we can do is hold onto it for now." Xu Yang sighed, then suddenly asked, "Do you know who Zhao Hon really is?"

"Zhao Hon? Isn’t he from Wuxiang Celestial Tomb?" Ning Wuyang was bewildered.

"He is Gu Hong!"

"Grand General of the Forbidden Army of Daqian!"

"What? Didn’t he die at Inverted Five Elements Heaven-Slaying City?" Ning Wuyang blurted in shock.

"I thought so too, but just now he revealed his identity to me."

Xu Yang narrowed his eyes. "Gu Hong came here, perhaps intending to save Ten Thousand Swords Island, but in the end I believe it’s because of this token."

"But he handed it over to me."

"No one knows what it does yet, we can only proceed step by step!"

"Can Sutian has just arrived in the Spirit Realm and already begun scheming. Mr. Ning, you should hurry up with your plans on Ten Thousand Swords Island as well." Xu Yang said meaningfully.

With Can Sutian’s return, inaction was impossible!

He had a premonition: the day would come when the Spirit Realm would be turned upside down!

Ning Wuyang’s face changed, then he nodded heavily.

He too felt the immense pressure.

"I’ll leave in a few days. After this event, you and Mr. Jian should be safe here—take care." Xu Yang said solemnly.

"By the way, where’s Miss Yang?"

Xu Yang suddenly remembered, and asked carefully.

Ning Wuyang’s mouth twitched, "She went to Cangyue Mountain."

"That’s good then."

Xu Yang felt relieved—he’d truly feared something had happened to her.

Ning Wuyang shot Xu Yang an exasperated glare, then said, "My master and I can take care of ourselves. You, on the other hand, need to be careful."

He knew that Xu Yang’s road ahead would be the most dangerous one.

"Oh right—your avatar."

Ning Wuyang handed him the Profound Gold Beetle.

He didn’t have any use for it anymore.

Xu Yang took the Profound Gold Beetle, sensing the close connection between them, and couldn’t help secretly lamenting that, after all these delays, the gap between his main body and his avatar had grown quite large.

Like this, his external avatar had lost its original purpose.

"There’s still plenty of spirit essence left—just as well, I can use some to strengthen the avatar!"

It didn’t need to match his main body; as long as it could serve as backup power at a critical moment, that was enough.

After all, while the Mother and Child Profound Gold Insect was precious in Daqian, in the Spirit Realm it wasn’t all that shocking anymore.

"I’m off."

"Mhm."

Watching Ning Wuyang leave, Xu Yang entered the house, waiting for the arrival of Ten Thousand Swords Island’s sect leader.

An hour later.

Sect Leader Ming Yun personally delivered information to him.

Guanglong Island’s top-ranked genius, Xi Hai; Three Gods Island’s top-ranked genius, Chen Tianqiong.

Setting their potential aside, in terms of sheer strength both were above Ning Wuyang!

Among them, Chen Tianqiong was already in the True Monarch Middle Realm!

However, he still didn’t qualify for the Celestial Pride List.

Because his age was too high and his potential not great!

But on the Star Dome Sea, he was unchallenged—an undisputed number one.

"Xi Hai cultivates Guanglong Island’s ancient legacy, Dragon Transformation Profound Scripture, inheriting the True Dragon Bloodline. He can transform into a true dragon; his physical body is fearsome, and his True Dragon Life Fire is formidable!"

"Chen Tianqiong cultivates Three Gods Island’s top legacy, Divine Splitting Profound Light Skill—splitting his spiritual soul, using profound light to invade others’ minds. To utterly kill him, you must find and destroy all of his spiritual avatars!"

After reading through all the information, the only real headache for Xu Yang was Chen Tianqiong.

The cultivation technique that guy practiced was somewhat similar to the external avatar technique.

But he only split off strands of spiritual soul, attaching them to various objects.

They could be humans, or inanimate things!

So long as even a single strand remained, he could be reborn!

According to the intelligence, at his current level, Chen Tianqiong could split off at most two strands.

He’d revealed two so far.

But no one could say for sure if there were more hidden strands.

After all, these kinds of trump cards would never be made public.

After pondering for a while, Xu Yang quietly left Ten Thousand Swords Island.

Donning a disguise, he first made his way to Chen Tianqiong.

Settle this trouble first, and Xi Hai would pose no threat!

Otherwise, if Chen Tianqiong caught any hints, things would become troublesome.

Just as Xu Yang was making his moves, unrest simmered within both Guanglong Island and Three Gods Island.

In anticipation of retaliation from Ten Thousand Swords Island—and, in particular, out of deep wariness towards ’Zhao Hon’—both islands were making preparations for the very worst.

Guanglong Island.

A young man accompanied by an elder slipped away quietly, darting deep into the Star Dome Sea.

The youth was none other than Guanglong Island’s top genius, Xi Hai!