Chapter One Hundred: North Star River

Without a sound, a jet-black flame rose up at terrifying speed, devouring the wooden table until not even a trace remained. The sight changed everyone upstairs; the dread of that black fire far exceeded their expectations.

Feigning weakness to catch the tiger off guard? That flame is nowhere near as formidable as the Netherfire wielded by the Sacred Land’s men back then. By this point, Ye Feng had already come upstairs. He stood in a corner, quietly watching Lie Kuang and the others.

Lie Kuang stepped forward and said, “Not bad at all! Fight me!”

“Hmph. Netherfire? Just right—my violet flame needs to devour a fire of some kind. You’ll do!” A blur flashed by, and a figure appeared out of nowhere before Lie Kuang. An overwhelming presence descended at once, and strands of violet flame swiftly spread across his entire body.

As the son of the Marquis of Joy, He Xu had already brought his flying-dagger art to a sublime level. He had come here today for two reasons: first, to discuss with Lie Kuang the matter of joining the Heavenly King; second, to wait for Princess Anran’s arrival.

But now, a mass of violet flame had suddenly enveloped him, leaving the nearby Lie Kuang utterly baffled.

Seeing He Xu make a move, the young man from the Bilistel Empire wore a faint smile. In an instant, he drifted away and stood proudly in the street, saying to He Xu, “We haven’t enjoyed the food here enough yet! Don’t wreck the place. Let’s settle this in the street. I’m still waiting to eat!”

“Fine. I’m in a hurry too. Some people, don’t get any foolish ideas about seizing advantage by standing closest to the well!” He Xu glanced lightly toward Xiao Chong’s side and shouted.

The words had scarcely faded when he shot downstairs like a streak of light. Within the violet flames, more than a dozen mighty ancient beasts took shape around him. His towering silhouette was like a fire-wreathed war god, radiating overwhelming dominance.

Boom, boom, boom...

In midair, the spiritual power around He Xu had already reached the peak of the Spirit King realm. With a sweep of his hand, one fireball after another came crashing down, shrieking through the air toward his opponent.

He had no intention of holding back. From the very start, he fought with full force.

The young man from the Bilistel Empire merely sneered. His movements flowed like cloud and water, graceful and effortless, as he narrowly evaded several of He Xu’s attacks.

Swish...

With a light wave of his hand, Netherfire spread out from all directions and closed in. In an instant it surrounded He Xu. The black Netherfire could melt steel and forge iron; in the blink of an eye, it had reduced the wooden posts along the street to ashes. Its terror needed no further proof.

“Good boy! We were just saying we wanted to devour your Netherfire, and you’ve delivered yourself to us. In that case, we’ll gladly accept your gift!” He Xu laughed heartily. The violet flames all over his body suddenly transformed into countless tiny whirlpool shapes, rapidly drawing in the black fire clinging to him like stubborn bandages.

“You dare...!” Seeing this, the young man on the opposite side immediately panicked. Netherfire was the foundation of his strength; without it, he was nothing.

When He Xu had just said he intended to devour his flames, he had not taken it seriously at all. Such a thing had never even been heard of before.

But now he was truly afraid. In just a short moment, nearly half of his Netherfire had already been swallowed. If this continued, he feared not even the dregs would remain.

“Someone, help me!” The young man was sweating profusely. He had done everything he could to withdraw his Netherfire, but he could not move at all, and so, abandoning all face, he cried out for help.

Bang...

As if answering him, someone was swiftly hurled down from above.

“Were you calling for him? Sorry, I just got an itch and exchanged a few moves with him. Who knew your friend’s skills were so rusty? I couldn’t hold back and went a little hard on him.”

Lie Kuang stood upstairs, looking down with cool indifference.

“Your conduct is a little too disrespectful to the dignity of the Heavenly Martial Empire, don’t you think?” From afar, a figure flashed into view and quickly arrived beneath the tavern.

“And who are you? This whole affair was started by your people first; we merely accepted the challenge!” Inside the tavern, Jin Ming leaned out and spoke.

It had to be said that after the Heavenly King Alliance was founded, the cohesion among the young powerhouses of the capital had reached an unprecedented level.

“I am Beichen Yichuan! Today you have wounded the cultivators of my delegation. Once I report this to your emperor, I will see that none of you are spared!” Beichen Yichuan looked at the one thrown down by Lie Kuang, then at the young powerhouse whose Netherfire had already been swallowed nearly to nothing, his face dark with lines.

These past few days, they had been sailing smoothly within the Heavenly Martial Capital, and the younger generation’s stirring up trouble had been tacitly permitted by them. He had never expected to suffer such a crushing setback today.

“What, you’re itching for a beating too? How about we have a little spar?” Slaughter Demon strode out step by step, a hammer on his shoulder, his eyes blazing with a lust for battle.

Beichen Yichuan was now seething with anger. The Beichen Faction was a superpower within the Bilistel Empire. Its founder possessed extraordinary strength, and after centuries of development it had become an immensely powerful sect, deep and unfathomable.

Within the Bilistel Empire, anyone who dared speak to him in such a manner would already have been turned into fertilizer to nourish the wildflowers by the roadside.

By now it was noon, and many idle common folk had chosen to come out for a stroll. This was their time to relax. Never had they expected such a satisfying spectacle to unfold in the street, and one after another they crowded around to watch.

Before long, the place had been packed tight by those who came after hearing the news.

In the crowd, many cast unfriendly looks at Beichen Yichuan. It was clear that the people of the Bilistel Empire were not very welcome here; even the two men lying on the ground had been mocked a few times.

“Sons of the Sacred Land, get lost! The Heavenly Martial Empire does not welcome you...” someone shouted from within the crowd.

The next moment, the onlookers who knew nothing of the matter all joined in with curses, and the scene became heated beyond measure.

Below, Beichen Yichuan felt somewhat intimidated. The occupation of the Bilistel Empire by the Sacred Land was the deepest wound in his heart.

This delegation’s visit to the Heavenly Martial Empire was merely to serve as cover for others.

He, too, had blood in his veins. He, too, wanted to drive the Sacred Land out of his nation. But he was only a cultivator. His heart was willing, yet his strength was insufficient. The bigwigs of the council had likely sold out the empire for some filthy private bargain.

But whatever the truth, the fact that they were the Sacred Land’s hounds had already been stamped upon their faces, beyond any doubt.

“The dignity of the empire is not for others to insult! I challenge you!” Beichen Yichuan slowly drew a blade that was somewhat like a longsword, his eyes cold as he stared at Slaughter Demon.