Chapter 1302: Super Bodyguards

Instead of answering, Tang Xiu slightly smiled and asked back, "Then, how far has your cultivation realm reached, Nine Nether Big Bro?"

Nine Nether Swordmeister was stunned for a moment, then he slowly said after thinking a long time, "Well, I was trapped for more than 2 millenniums at the mid-stage Golden Immortal and had no chance to break through to the late-stage before. Why do you ask?"

Tang Xiu didn't answer his question and asked again instead, "If you can cast the Heaven Obscuring Art, what level of cultivation would you normally expose to the others?"

"The Heaven Obscuring Art?" Nine Nether Swordmeister was surprised. "You mean Battle Peng is proficient in the Heaven Obscuring Art? You must know that the Heaven Obscuring Art is a secret art unique to Venerable Thunder, right? It's well known that Venerable Thunder has a total of four disciples, but Battle Peng is surely not one of them. It's just easy for anyone to deliberately conceal their cultivation level, but not just anyone can avoid stronger detection. I believe Venerable Thunder and his four disciples can pull it off, but can others do it? I don't think so."

Tang Xiu shook his head and said, "You just mentioned some good words: well-known. But is there no exception or special case? There are countless powerful people in the Immortal World and uncountable great supernatural beings. Maybe there's a heaven-defying peerless genius who can work out some art that's nearly similar to the Heaven Obscuring Art of Venerable Thunder, no?"

Nine Nether Swordmeister nodded solemnly. "What you said makes sense. It seems that I still underestimated the experts of the Immortal World."

Having said that, he regretfully sighed. "You know, those great experts who love to stir up trouble all vanished without a trace, died, or isolated themselves from the world. I've been wanting to see what chaos they could stir up in the Immortal World, but it's hard to see powerhouses fighting nowadays. Else, the great experts' techniques would've continued to be spread out and be understood by us."

Tang Xiu shook his head in silence, sighing.

Back in the past, he was such an expert himself, as was said by Nine Nether Swordmeister—one who loved to stir up troubles! He always created chaotic scenes in the Immortal World before he met Xue Qingcheng. Even after he became a great expert, a Supreme, he triggered countless high-level battles. Among them, no less than 10 Supremes were killed by his own hands and as many as tens of thousands of great experts at the Perfected Golden Immortal Stage.

Bluntly put, he had waded the blood river and stepped on the top of a mountain of corpses in order to become a Supreme.

Looking at Nine Nether Swordmeister's complex expression, Tang Xiu slowly said, "I don't think the Immortal World will stay peaceful like this for a long time, though. Some weak people are bound to become stronger, and some of them will naturally rise up and then cause chaos. Well, I've heard of someone a while back. He seems to be quite jubilant in creating such noises now."

"Huh?" Nine Nether Swordmeister was surprised. "Who's this guy?"

"Myriad Pills Immortal Monarch," answered Tang Xiu.

Nine Nether Swordmeister frowned and disdain appeared in his eyes as he lightly said, "He did make quite some noise recently. He's a Perfected Golden Immortal, but he can kill four experts of the same level—quite a rare feat nowadays, indeed. But you don't seem to be well-informed, Great Tang Lil Bro. About 3 years ago, that brat was chased for a full 6 months and nearly met his maker countless times. If it wasn't for his Martial Brothers coming to his rescue and his Master, Great Emperor Danqing, who came out of his abode and arranged the 81 Immortals Destruction Array to trap his enemies in the formation and refined them until they died, I don't think he'd be able to turn over any waves whatsoever."

Tang Xiu's heart was full of murderous intentions, but on the surface, he calmly said, "Great Emperor Danqing? Isn't he a Supremacy Stage powerhouse in the Immortal World? He would actually go so far to kill and refine the lives of his disciple's enemies?"

Nine Nether Swordmeister was obviously reluctant to mention anything about Great Emperor Danqing and said lightly, "In-name disciples are different from direct disciples. If in-name disciples die, then they just can go die. But if others were to kill direct disciples, that means a slap to the faces of these great figures. It would be hella strange if such people didn't take any action in regard to this matter. That makes me recall Star Cultivation Great Emperor who previously fully traveled across several hundred Immortal Domains after his disciple was killed and personally slaughtered the entire sects of his disciple's enemies, shocking to most of the Immortal World. Quite a popular temperament for others for being protective of his offspring."

Star Cultivation Great Emperor?

The murderous intention in Tang Xiu's heart was replaced by complicated emotions. No one in the Immortal World was more familiar than him in regards to this name. It was because the name was a title belonging to a certain Immortal World Supreme, himself.

Suddenly, Tang Xiu's expression shifted and he asked, "Nine Nether Brother, I heard you talk about this Star Cultivation Great Emperor, but I only heard of his legend. He seems to be a very impressive and powerful Supreme. How come I haven't heard of his name for the last few centuries?"

"He failed crossing his Godhood tribulation and disappeared both in flesh and soul." Nine Nether Swordmeister sighed while shaking his head.

"He failed his Divinity Tribulation? How can that be?" Tang Xiu pretended to be shocked. "I heard that he was a genuine super-powerful expert in the entire Immortal World that even many great Supremacy Stage experts were not his opponent!"

Nine Nether Swordmeister sighed. "I'm lost about that as well. Even innumerable great experts never expected that he would fail to cross the tribulation. Such Divinity Tribulation..."

Tang Xiu remained silent for a while before he said in a seemingly inadvertent way, "I didn't expect that Star Cultivation Great Emperor had died. It seems he crossed grave crises in his path! By the way, I also heard that Star Cultivation Great Emperor came from the most powerful sect, the Holy Vermillion Bird Sect. He once provoked so many enemies, so with him dead, it's very likely the Holy Vermillion Bird sect is now facing quite a difficult situation, yes?"

Nine Nether Swordmeister seemed to recall something. A contemptuous look filled his eyes as he indifferently said, "The Holy Vermillion Bird Sect is indeed facing quite an arduous situation now. Speaking of it, Star Cultivation Great Emperor was rather blind to me. He made two friends but failed to reckon how his two buddies are even worse than pigs and dogs. After his failure in crossing the tribulation, his two buddies even said that Star Cultivation had humiliated them. Together, they found many Supremes and Perfected Golden Immortals who had grievances with him to attack the Holy Vermillion Bird Sect. Nearly half of the Holy Vermillion Bird Sect's brilliant and boundless prospect disciples were killed. The rest is now hiding in the Holy Vermillion Bird's holy land, relying on the two Supremacy Stage experts in the sect, guarding the sect's array and struggling on while at death's door."

"Such a thing happened?" Tang Xiu was shocked and asked again, "Did the disciples of Star Cultivation Great Emperor, his former subordinates, and even other friends just tolerate these people bullying the Holy Vermillion Bird Sect?"

"When the tree fell, the monkeys scattered. Everyone just pushed the already collapsing wall." Nine Nether Swordmeister sighed. "A trivial Profound Immortal guy said these two lines, but everyone in the Immortal World thinks that the analogy is on the mark. It's certain that this is not something that can be generalized. Star Cultivation Great Emperor once had countless disciples and showed grace to innumerable powerful people. Those powerhouses who accepted and knew his kindness and wanted to pay him back all came forward and participated in the fighting for hundreds of years. Millions died in the war and the rest retreated after the chaos. Although they retreated, they still announced that if anyone dared to provoke the Holy Vermillion Bird Sect again, they would still move forward without hesitation to stand up for them."

Having said that, Nine Nether Swordmeister seemed unwilling to continue speaking about this heavy topic anymore. He took out a million Crystal Essences and handed it to Tang Xiu, saying, "It's your win."

Despite the complex mood, Tang Xiu smiled and, after accepting a million Crystal Essences in full, said smilingly, "This younger brother will respectfully accept these Crystal Essences. Anyway, Nine Nether Bro, you're a solemn Perfected Golden Immortal yourself, but I can tell you seem to respect Star Cultivation Great Emperor through your words. Did you also participate in the rally to support the Holy Vermillion Bird Sect?"

"That's of course! I owe Star Soul Supreme a great favor, so how could I just stand idly by when the Holy Vermillion Bird was in trouble?" Nine Nether Swordmeister sighed. "Even that confused Empyrean Pole Lady also participated in it."

"Madam Empyrean Pole was also involved in it?" Tang Xiu was surprised. "Does she also have a relationship with someone from the Holy Vermillion Bird Sect?"

"Nah, she took action on behalf of Celestial Pole oldster." Nine Nether Swordmeister shook his head. "That guy has quite a deep friendship with Star Cultivation Emperor."

Suddenly, he stared at Tang Xiu and shifted the topic. "Tang Lil Bro, you seem to be very interested in the affairs of Star Cultivation Great Emperor and the Holy Vermillion Bird Sect. Did you..."

Tang Xiu smiled in response. "No, no, no. I'm just a nobody. How can I relate to those big guys? I'm just curious about the big chaos that happened in the past. However, it would be nice if I could relate to them, regardless. At least I can follow Star Cultivation Great Emperor. After all, he's a super expert, so I can walk unhindered in the Immortal World with his protection, no?"

"Hahaha..."

Nine Nether Swordmeister laughed aloud, and even the two voluptuous women at his sides couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Tang Xiu grinned and laughed for some time before he said, "Well, even if I don't know Star Cultivation Emperor, it's a blessing to be able to meet you, Nine Nether Brother! I'll just use your name if anyone dares to bully me in the future, no? When such a time comes, all the enemies hostile to me will surely be scared stiff and run away after hearing your name."

Nine Nether Swordmeister rolled his eyes. Then, he smiled and said, "I got tons of enemies, you know. You can tell them my name if you're not afraid of the repercussion. Anyway, I've wasted a lot of time here, so I'm going back first. Where are you staying at, Tang Lil Bro? I'll send you a notice when the betting time with my enemy comes."

Tang Xiu thought for a while and said, "Just come to the Stargazing Pavilion!"

Nine Nether Swordmeister nodded. He then left Tang Xiu with a messenger and headed towards the outside while hugging the two enchanting women. As he walked outside for a kilometer, he transmitted his voice, "Go choose those 20 Golden Immortal gladiators yourself! I'll pay for them to the Convict Arena on your behalf. You don't need to worry about it."

"Thanks a bunch, Brother Nine Nether!"

Tang Xiu cupped his fists. A bit of his gratitude was from paying for the Golden Immortals, but what he really thanked him for was Nine Nether helping the Holy Vermillion Bird Sect.