Chapter 1074: The Three Wounded

[Are these Sword Kings muscle heads to believe everything I say?

Looking at the shaking Sword Kings above, Zhuo Fan smirked.

"Brother Zhuo, to think you're so strong that you even defeated a Sword King!"

Ouyang Changqing looked at him with reverence, "Baili Jingtian hardly needed you to break a sweat. With brother Zhuo by our side, we're at ease. But brother Zhuo, how do you train to become beyond a Sword King so soon when you're our peer? We should have the same resources so how are you so obscenely strong?"

Zhuo Fan's brow twitched as he glanced at the pompous fool, "Brother Ouyang, what is it, in your opinion, the most important in the cultivation world?"

"I know that, dad told me. It's loyalty!"

"No, it's tricking!"

Zhuo Fan roared, "You know exactly what went on with Frigid Rain Sword King and now you even fell for my blustering? Or have you been cultivating the same as these Sword Kings, to become a muscle head?"

Murong Xue giggled, earning their odd looks, but turned serious the next second. The rest chuckled as well.

Ouyang Changqing figured it out at last, "Oh, brother Zhuo tricked them. And they believed you?"

"It depends on how solid the lie is. Their biggest doubt is whether Frigid Rain Sword King has run off. As long the truth isn't revealed we can maintain this stalemate." Zhuo Fan's eyes shone.

"And then?" Ouyang Changqing asked, "Won't we end up dead when they finally find out?"

"Sure, because this is just a temporary plan to stall. Once help arrives, all will be settled."

"Help? Who?"

"You'll know in time. But if she doesn't hurry, I'll be found out. While not finished, but..." Zhuo Fan frowned.

Ouyang Changqing was clueless. He had no idea that Zhuo Fan's goal was to get to the North Sea for the Sea Ao and nothing else. The flames of war between the central area and the four lands could reach the heavens for all he cared.

Sure, he could act as the third party to break the stalemate on the two's conflict, but that would only cut at his profits.

For instance, he had it in him to finish the Invincible Sword then and there, but why would he? That would mean the collapse of the central area and the four lands wouldn't be worn out any longer, their armies would race to the central area to get their share of the spoils. This would end in the lands winning big and him getting nothing.

Only when the two sides choke each other to the last man would he have the most to gain. While the central area and the four lands wanted to lord over the other, Zhuo Fan wanted them in balance.

The same way he raised the Luo clan while facing tough but complex factions. It wouldn't help to break the balance until he milked it for all it was worth. Then after, rise to take it all. And that was no easy feat either.

Though his ambitions weren't something that any of the factions were privy to.

As they spilled each other's blood, they were blissfully unaware of a common enemy cheering them on without lifting a finger to help, let alone harming a Sword King.

The four land alliance would've died in regret if it knew. They invited the wolf and even appointed him Grand Marshal!

Sweating a little, the three Sword Kings above had fallen for Zhuo Fan's ruse, lost as to what to do.

A thin man turned to a middle-aged man, "Brother Yuyun, for him to inflict heavy harm on Yuyu, he must be as strong as around three Sword Kings, or Yuyu wouldn't have gotten the chance to escape otherwise. That means even if we work together, we might still not take him down."

"Yeah, on account of his words being true." Baili Yuyun muttered.

The pudgy man with sideburns rushed to add, "But his words match the Crown Prince's story. This proves Yuyu's report was wrong. How can a Soul Harmony cultivator harm the Crown Prince like that? And he did it all without any traps. Yuyu must've been in the dark of his strength as well to be forced to flee in defeat. Why else would the Crown Prince say Yuyu is here only to not catch a glimpse of her? What other reason is there for not taking such credit besides being beaten back?"

The trio looked at each other, with Baili Yuyun saying, "This is even worse. Devil Mountain isn't weak, but beyond strong, someone we can never offend. Yet we just did..."

"We need to silence him!"

The lanky man slanted his head and spoke with sharp eyes, "None can be left alive, not even the kids. Alas, the guy's power is still unclear. Will we be able to..."

Baili Yuyun squinted, showing a crafty look, "The kid may be tough to crack, but the others are dead weight. Seeing how he's with them, there must be someone among them he cares enough to affect his calm. I'll keep him busy, testing him and drawing to the side while you kill the rest. The instant he's distracted, we'll strike him hard together. This will tell us who among them he cares the most. The faster we find his weakness the easier it'll be to finish him. Well?"

"Brilliant, brother Yun!" The two gave him a thumbs up.

The trio then turned to their victims, no longer hesitating and ready for action.

Zhuo Fan's heart sank.

[They sure are Sword Kings to come up with a plan so soon. This is the end of the ruse then. Having come up with a plan, there's no need for hesitation.]

Whoosh!

The trio shot like hawks upon the kids. Baili Yuyun went for Zhuo Fan while the other two split up and went around to target the wounded group.

Even if by some miracle Zhuo Fan was a Sword King, he'd still be stuck. He had no way of protecting himself and everyone else.

The crux was, he wasn't and he couldn't even defend against a Sword King.

Under the bubbling pressure slamming into them, the others shivered and paled.

Zhuo Fan frowned, touching the flickering ring with a sigh.

[With no time left, I have no choice but to step in.]

Hum~

Ripples spread from his ring as immense power surges flashed. Zhuo Fan raised his hand, his eyes cold.

[Since they came to die...]

Whoosh~

But then the sudden sword energies shot and forced the Sword Kings to slant out of the way. The sword energies cut a hole in their clothes, close to harming them.

"Who did that?" The trio glared and turned back.

A familiar voice echoed in everyone's ears, "Ha-ha-ha, Sword Kings are great men having been in this world for thousands of years, yet they like picking on little kids?"

"Dad!"

"Elder brother!"

Ouyang Changqing and Murong Xue shouted in joy.

The saviors were none other than three people, all wielding divine swords, Murong Lie, Ouyang Lingtian and Shangguan Feixiong.

Though they were looking a bit pale there, even with their imposing presence. One could also not mistake the blood at their mouths, a sign of a heavy wound. Regardless, they chose to force themselves through the pain and face the three Sword Kings without remorse.

Zhuo Fan raised his hand only to put it down with a sigh.

[Now that there's someone here to stop them, there's no need to waste energy, he-he...]

"Brother Zhuo, you're so amazing to know help will come. With dad and them, the Sword Kings can't do anything to us, ha-ha-ha..." Ouyang Changqing was ecstatic, "Oh, what do we do now? Look for a safe place to watch them fight or cheer them on? Brother Zhuo, with your cunning mind, what do you think it's best?"

Zhuo Fan glanced at him, "The help I mention isn't them, though they're not a bad choice since they're here. So we should just... run!"

Zhuo Fan shouted the last word and signaled the others to scramble after him for the teleportation array, leaving them in a daze.

Reacting after a long time, they asked, "Brother Zhuo, why would we run?"

"We were dangerously close to having my trick found out. Now that someone actually lent a helping hand, only a fool would just stay to watch and die!" Zhuo Fan urged the rest to run like hell while he barked at the pompous Ouyang Changqing.,

Ouyang Changqing was bemused, "Aren't they here already? Why..."

Bang~

Three booms drowned his voice as three figures slammed the ground in front of them, splattering the earth with their blood.

They were none other than the three divine sword wielders, their helpers. The swords in their hands hummed, as if mournful at the humiliation.

Ouyang Changqing gaped at seeing his father down.

How could his father with the divine sword even, fall in one blow...