Chapter 465 - 406: The Human Emperor Banner Emitting Black Smoke

Xiahou Yue was severely injured.

So much so that it didn’t feel like a mere sparring match.

The strongest individual of Moon Country was ultimately knocked out cold.

Chu Huaixu, however, looked innocent.

"Elder Xiahou just wouldn’t admit defeat. I had no other choice," he shrugged helplessly at Xiang Yan and the others.

This left everyone both amused and exasperated.

Given a person of his standing, expecting him to surrender right from the start would indeed be suspicious.

But this was exactly the effect the Dead Fox wanted.

He intended to beat Xiahou Yue to the brink, to injure him severely.

As for gaining Experience Points...

"Just a bonus!"

He wiped his right hand casually over his face, extinguishing the golden flame in his eyes and the golden mark on his forehead.

....

....

"[Ding! Congratulations, through your sparring with Xiahou Yue, you’ve gained 932127 Experience Points.]"

It always had such neat figures.

Chu Huaixu still couldn’t figure out how the system calculated it.

But it didn’t matter; the rewards were generous enough.

The Experience Points seemed numerous, but for a player, this was an impossible task.

In this world, only he could truly achieve invincibility at the same level.

Lin Qingci watched from the side, feeling somewhat relieved.

The reason was simple: she, too, had been harvested by Chu Huaixu.

Since he needed to gain experience, how could he not take advantage of this delicious Female State Preceptor?

Yet each time they sparred, he mostly stopped at a punch.

A single punch would send her flying, and that was it!

Even so, Lin Qingci found him somewhat crude.

Compared to the severe injury Xiahou Yue sustained today, it was quite considerate.

Little did she know, as Chu Huaixu gazed at the unconscious National Guardian, he thought:

"Your body is so fragile? If only it were as hard as your mouth."

Xiahou Yue awoke groggily the next day.

He regained consciousness in the elegant courtyard of Junzi Temple, bewildered by the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Where am I?"

During the sparring, Chu Huaixu used a Heart Sword.

Even though Xiahou Yue suppressed his Cultivation, his Power of Divine Sense was still vast, causing only minor disturbances and light injuries, resulting in temporary dizziness.

He tapped his head gently, images slowly surfacing in his mind.

The face of the dignified National Guardian filled with endless anger and a touch of...shame?

"It’s over, it’s truly over."

He suddenly began to regret a little.

Why did I have to come personally?

He could have sent someone with a high status to invite him!

Why did I have to make the trip myself?

"My lifetime of fame!" He almost wanted to hide his face and flee.

After getting out of bed, Xiahou Yue opened the door and stepped into the courtyard.

Under the tree in the courtyard, in a spotless white robe and boots, sat the unassuming-looking Jiang Zhi, who, when traveling to exorcise demons from the mountain, enjoyed moonlighting as a storyteller.

The Daoist Junior Martial Uncle was writing something with a pen in hand.

At this time, Xiahou Yue, sensitive as ever, couldn’t help but shout, "Elder Jiang, what are you writing!"

"Uh, nothing, nothing," Jiang Zhi quickly stored the booklet back into his Storage Token.

Seeing this, Xiahou Yue could already guess seven or eight points.

"I knew it!" he gnashed his teeth in his heart.

The story of his defeat at the hands of Chu Huaixu would surely be spread by these cheerful Daoists.

Jiang Zhi would write at least three versions!

Unfortunately, they were now on his turf.

Even as Moon Country’s strongest, he couldn’t cause much of a stir here.

Thus, he could only let out a cold snort and angrily search for the instigator.

"Where is Chu Huaixu!"

"Didn’t he promise to follow me to Moon Country after the sparring match!"

Jiang Zhi, however, looked up at him and said, "Earlier, Chu Huaixu only told you his terms."

"Now, I must tell you the conditions of our Daoist Sect."

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Yue’s resolute face instantly turned a few degrees colder.

It never ends! You truly never let it end!

He was a relatively straightforward cultivator, without so many twists and turns.

With both hands clenched into fists, he took a deep breath and suppressed his anger, saying:

"Please speak, Elder Jiang."

Jiang Zhi sat on a stone stool, looked up at him, and his words carried a hint of coldness, his expression extremely serious.

"Our Daoist Sect has only one condition."

"That is, however you take Chu Huaixu, you must personally return him in the same way."

"Return him completely unscathed."

Upon hearing these words, Xiahou Yue’s expression softened slightly.

"As it should be," he promised.

"I am well aware of how important Chu Huaixu is."

"For the greater good, for the great catastrophe of the world, he cannot be lost."

"Elder Jiang, you can rest assured. I am, after all, the strongest of Moon Country."

"Besides the Sword Sect, who in the entire Profound Yellow Realm is my opponent?"

"Moreover, even if it were the Sword Venerable, if it came to a life-and-death battle, who knows who would win!"

This National Guardian regained his former confidence.

He had his own grounds for confidence, and his own pride!

Jiang Zhi nodded slightly in acknowledgment of his words.

He was naturally well aware of how powerful Xiahou Yue was.

If he doesn’t use "that sword," even in the state of [Fallen into Demon] he’s no match for this National Guardian.

Although the Sword Venerable is strong, his strength lies in [Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Root].

And this move actually requires a bit of preparation time.

Though it only needs a few breaths’ time.

But in a life-or-death duel, this becomes a variable.

Jiang Zhi immediately transmitted his voice to Chu Huaixu, summoning him over.

Accompanying him was Lin Qingci.

Regarding the current plan to go to the Moon Country, Chu Huaixu had no objections.

Right now, he’s desperately broke and hoping to go to the Imperial Capital to try to earn some more Experience Points.

Xiahou Yue looked at the Female State Preceptor and asked, "Preceptor, would you like to return together?"

Lin Qingci’s reply, however, was unexpectedly unsurprising.

The barefooted woman slightly shook her head.

That cage, she was no longer willing to set foot in.

Xiahou Yue couldn’t help but frown slightly, but after thinking for a moment, he just snorted coldly and said, "I will honestly report this matter to Your Majesty."

"State Preceptor, take care of yourself!"

After saying this, he swung his hand sharply.

Chu Huaixu immediately followed him into the air.

And so, the two of them swiftly flew towards the Moon Country.

Lin Qingci stood in place, first bowed to Jiang Zhi to bid farewell.

After Jiang Zhi slightly nodded, she then flew away from the Daoist Sect.

However, after flying into the sky, she glanced around, and a hint of confusion flashed in her eyes.

Though the world is vast, she is like a rootless floating duckweed.

At this moment, she does not know where to head.

...

...

On the way, Chu Huaixu and Xiahou Yue didn’t speak.

The National Guardian was bound by face, while Chu Huaixu was researching his system panel.

"Didn’t they say that healing Lin Qingci might trigger a hidden reward?"

"Why hasn’t she given anything?" The Dead Fox felt frustrated.

But he soon had a sudden realization.

This reward couldn’t really be....

You’re a good system, guiding me astray, huh!

Xiahou Yue glanced at Chu Huaixu from the corner of his eye, only to see him lost in thought.

He was sometimes in a daze, unable to imagine that the Ancestor Emperor’s long-term rule over the Moon Country for a thousand years could be so easily destroyed by such a young lad.

"What exactly is the Heart Sword in his Sea of Consciousness?" He couldn’t understand.

Due to the extremely fast flying speed of the Moon Country’s strongest person, it wasn’t long before the two flew out of the Daoist Sect’s ruling realm.

They flew forward for about over a hundred miles when Xiahou Yue suddenly halted.

"What’s wrong?" Chu Huaixu asked with a frown, sensing something amiss.

Xiahou Yue didn’t reply, but suddenly shouted: "Come out!"

A powerful pressure spread from him, causing all the clouds around to disperse!

Behind the distant clouds, a figure quickly appeared.

Chu Huaixu looked at the opponent, his pupils slightly contracting.

Immediately, endless killing intent surged in his heart!

This person was entirely enveloped in a black cloak, wearing a mask.

His aura was obscured, completely hiding his true appearance.

With such attire, who else could it be but the Black Moon Sect Leader?

"The Power of Origin is indeed a creation, but also a nuisance." He couldn’t help but speak, his voice hoarse.

"If it weren’t for the mutual induction between Power of Origin, you certainly wouldn’t be able to detect this Sect Leader’s position."

He held a giant Black Banner, looking at Xiahou Yue in the distance.

The National Guardian stared coldly at the opponent, his gaze lingering on that giant Black Banner.

With his strength, his Divine Sense had already probed the surroundings.

Mysteriously, he couldn’t grasp the opponent’s specific strength.

And the sensation that Black Banner gave him was strange.

"It doesn’t resemble a Spiritual Artifact from our Profound Yellow Realm..."

"It seems more like a Cultivator’s Magical Treasure!"

This made him startled.

Just like the Daoist Sect confiscated Magical Treasures, the Moon Country’s treasury surely has them too. Thus, Xiahou Yue must have encountered Cultivators’ Magical Treasures.

Moreover, he had personally entered the Origin Spirit Realm once and slain a Cultivator.

Therefore, he felt his intuition couldn’t be wrong.

This made his gaze colder, as he shielded Chu Huaixu behind him, only then speaking out: "Who are you?"

The Black Moon Sect Leader let out a chuckle, with a raspy voice, extremely unpleasant, as if carrying a scratchy sound.

"Who am I?"

"About this, you might want to ask Chu Huaixu."

"He ought to know who this Sect Leader is."

After speaking, his gaze pierced through Xiahou Yue, meeting Chu Huaixu’s eyes behind him.

"Chu Leader, unexpected to meet again so quickly." The Black Moon Sect Leader’s tone carried undisguised cheer.

"You might as well explain to this National Guardian here who this Sect Leader is." He said.

Speaking of the Black Moon Sect, it has considerable ties with Chu Huaixu.

Many people know that Chu Leader is vengeful.

For the sake of a mere Outer Sect Steward, he rose to murder, directly beheading the Moon Country’s Crown Prince.

But the Sect Leader set a trap to kill one of his masters.

Unexpectedly, a sneer appeared on Chu Huaixu’s face.

Immediately, his words left the Black Moon Sect Leader stunned, unwittingly applying more force to holding the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

"Heh, who are you?"

"Should I call you the Black Moon Sect Leader, or should I call you..."

He paused for a moment, then shouted loudly:

—"Snow Venerable!"

...

(ps: Seeking monthly votes at the beginning of the month.)