Chapter 621: The Shaman's Gift Dare Not Be Refused

Chapter 621: The Shaman’s Gift, I Dare Not Refuse

“Bang!” Wang Daoning, with no time to ponder how Zhao Changhe had broken free so swiftly, urgently swept aside the arrow, his soul-sea shuddering.

This golden arrow was truly absurd—fired from a mere Second Secret Treasury martial artist, yet with the power of Dragon Sinew Divine Wood behind it and the soul-shattering force of the arrow, it was hardly inferior to an Imperial Realm expert.

Had he not sensed that this fellow posed a grave threat, and that joining forces with the desperate Tang Wanzhuang would not resolve things quickly, Wang Daoning would never have chosen to trap him and rush over to join the fray. This moment, in the end, was the price of a mistaken choice.

No sooner had he deflected the arrow than Zhuque’s demonic claw reached his side neck; before the claw even struck, the demonic flames had already scorched his body… Not only that, but the fury within his heart-sea was ignited, his emotions turning violently turbulent, his very thoughts affected.

The Four Symbols Sect had spread rumors and propaganda, claiming that both Revered Zhuque and Revered Xuanwu had already attained the ability of a Third Secret Treasury on the Heavenly List. After the sea battle, Xuanwu had indeed proven formidable, but who would have thought Zhuque was no less—if anything, her offensive was far more ferocious than Xuanwu’s.

When such attacks were borne by Xia Longyuan, others felt nothing; only when they themselves endured it did they realize how steady Xia Longyuan truly was. Even under the assault of the sword formation and the siege of many experts, he had still held the upper hand… Now Wang Daoning, facing just one arrow from Zhao Changhe and one claw from Zhuque, with his own sword formation tearing around him, was already stretched thin.

Wang Daoning swiftly parried Zhuque’s claw, and above his head, a blade’s light gleamed coldly as Zhao Changhe came crashing down.

A faint, odd emotion stirred in Zhuque’s heart—this was the first time she fought side by side with Zhao Changhe in her Zhuque identity… Though this battle was chaotic, her will to fight nearly spent, this alone was reason enough to muster all her spirit. She could not let the young man think the Revered Zhuque was weak!

Zhuque was brimming with vigor, while Wang Daoning was utterly speechless—damn it, you’re putting more effort into fighting me than you did against Xia Longyuan!

Zhao Changhe, however, was not as focused on besieging Wang Daoning as Zhuque was. A strange premonition nagged at him, and he activated his Overlooking Eye fully, scanning the entire battlefield.

In theory, Xuexiao should not still be fighting here at this point… A strike without a kill, then fleeing a thousand miles—that was the creed of a top assassin. He should not have remained to tangle with Xia Longyuan, especially in what had become a near-solo duel.

Though Xia Longyuan appeared increasingly feeble… Originally a hale and vigorous old man, he now looked almost like Hai Pinglan, who had aged from burning his life force—pale, stooped, with clear age spots on his face and wrinkles starkly visible.

Zhao Changhe’s heart skipped a beat as realization dawned—Xia Longyuan had been transported here decades ago; his struggle with Hai Pinglan was over thirty years past. By the time he fathered Chichi, he was already an old emperor who had long unified the realm. His actual age was now extremely advanced. This had not shown before because his cultivation was too strong, but once that cultivation was dragged down, his aged body began to hinder him. The longer the battle, the worse it became.

Had Xuexiao seen this? Did he think that dragging it out a little longer would be the moment to slay the dragon? But even with Xia Longyuan so weakened, Xuexiao should still have no trouble defeating him—where did his confidence come from?

Relying on Li Gongsi and Yang Jingxiu? Look at those two—they were dealing with the sword formation. Yang Jingxiu could be seen edging toward the exit, as if ready to flee at any moment. That was normal; clearly, sensing trouble and seeking an escape route was the sensible move.

And Li Gongsi?

He, on the contrary, was moving closer to Xia Longyuan’s position, seemingly trying to help Xuexiao pincer him.

Something was wrong… Xuexiao, at least a top figure on the Heavenly List, might have some confidence to wear down the weakening old Xia, but Li Gongsi, a mere Second Secret Treasury—where did he get such courage? At this point, still thinking of a pincer attack? If he had that kind of bloodthirsty valor, would he have colluded with the barbarians?

A thought stirred in Zhao Changhe’s mind—Li Gongsi had indeed led the barbarians through the pass. Had the barbarians truly just plundered and gone back? Could there be someone still lurking, following Li Gongsi to participate in this battle secretly? Earlier, they had hidden to avoid provoking backlash, but now that it was all exposed, was there any need to remain concealed?

The thought had barely formed when a warning arose.

From the shadows, a figure moved like a nimble fox, lightning-fast, and struck a palm toward Xia Longyuan’s back!

Second on the Heavenly List, Eternal Heaven Temple, Great Shaman Bo’e!

Of course—with an insider informing him of this grand event, how could he miss it?

This was the opponent closest to Xia Longyuan’s level; Zhao Changhe would not believe it if someone said Bo’e was not at the Imperial Realm! Striking at this moment, he could almost seal the outcome!

“Swoosh!” Zhao Changhe’s blade, aimed at Wang Daoning, suddenly veered straight for Bo’e’s back. Regardless of whether his own strength was enough to threaten Bo’e, he had to give it his all!

This sudden change of direction was extremely dangerous for him—Wang Daoning’s palm was already at his chest.

With a “smack,” Zhuque swiftly switched from offense to defense, blocking the blow for Zhao Changhe at the cost of taking Wang Daoning’s elbow to her ribs. She grunted and retreated.

At the same time, Bo’e’s attack slammed into an iron plate.

Through the dust, Li Shentong’s steel-like body stood behind Xia Longyuan. Bo’e’s mountain-shattering palm struck Li Shentong, forcing him back only slightly. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but a relieved smile spread across his face: “You’re here… good. Very good.”

It seemed Li Shentong had guessed as much and had been waiting for this moment.

His burly arm seized Bo’e’s withered hand, while behind him, Zhao Changhe’s blade had already struck Bo’e’s neck.

A perfect, coordinated move—but utterly ineffective.

Bo’e’s body slithered like a serpent, and Zhao Changhe’s blade slid off as if striking an octopus. The seized hand suddenly elongated and slammed into Li Shentong’s chest.

Li Shentong grunted but held on, refusing to retreat.

Li Gongsi’s sword, however, had reached Zhao Changhe’s back, just an inch away… yet it could not penetrate.

He turned in horror to see Ying Wu, usually all smiles, now with a rarely seen ferocious glare: “You… have made me lose face… lost face.”

Li Gongsi found himself frozen—the space around him seemed to split. He could not move, could not make a sound, and watched helplessly as spatial cuts, like a thousand slashes, opened one after another on his body.

Li Gongsi screamed, but no one in the entire environment could hear him. In moments, he became a bloodied figure.

If Wang Daoning could know what Li Gongsi was thinking at that moment, he would surely agree—when these people fought Xia Longyuan, their strength did not seem so overwhelming, but when it was your turn to take the blows, you realized what true monstrosity was. Xia Longyuan could break through, but that did not mean they could. Such bizarre techniques—a single level difference made them insurmountable!

But that no longer mattered. What mattered was that Li Shentong and Zhao Changhe together still could not stop Bo’e.

Bo’e produced a curved blade from somewhere, slipped past Li Shentong’s defense, and slashed across Xia Longyuan’s back.

Ordinarily, this should not have harmed Xia Longyuan—he should not have been so constrained by a single Xuexiao. Yet, to everyone’s astonishment, the blade struck true!

Because he did not dodge at all. He let the curved blade cut across his spine.

Even more shocking to all, though he was wounded, his lost power began to surge instead, his aura climbing, swelling like a tidal wave!

Bo’e’s heart skipped a beat as he saw Xia Longyuan swiftly turn his palm and strike.

Xuexiao, whose form had been like light and shadow, elusive and vexing to Xia Longyuan, could not evade this blow at all. He was swatted like a fly, spinning three hundred sixty degrees in the air, spitting a great mouthful of blood mist, and vanishing in a flicker.

At the same time, the four divine swords no longer turned on their master, nor did they attack Xia Longyuan. As if heeding his call, the four swords shot forth together, flying straight at Bo’e!

Bo’e finally understood why Xia Longyuan had deliberately taken his blow.

Until now, Xia Longyuan had not suffered a single wound. The first wound came from a barbarian’s hand.

In that moment, he still represented the fate of Great Xia!

Thus, the lost fate was briefly restored. The rebellious Four Spirit Swords obeyed his command, and all present shared a common target—Bo’e!

“You should not have come.” A trace of mockery curled at Xia Longyuan’s lips. “In this dragon-slaying endeavor, without your collusion with Li Gongsi, I would have already lost—truly lost. Because it was not they who would kill me, but the world’s belief that I no longer belong on this throne… But unfortunately, when you arrived, they had no choice but to acknowledge me for this instant.”

“Clang!” The terrifying sharpness of the four swords striking together crashed against Bo’e, producing a crisp metallic ring.

Bo’e’s voice came calmly: “So what? You are but a dying flash. They pose no threat to me. As for these four swords concentrating their attack, it is indeed troublesome, but pity—you in the Central Lands have spirit swords, while we on the grasslands have them too?”

Looking closely, the four spirit swords were all stabbing into a giant axe, clattering around it in a fierce battle.

Meanwhile, Bo’e’s figure had vanished, and his curved blade appeared with startling suddenness at Xia Longyuan’s back.

“A dying flash is enough!” Xia Longyuan, as if he had known exactly where Bo’e would appear, whirled and threw a punch: “See my fist—how does it compare to your god!”

“Boom!” The long-silent underground sky suddenly blazed with light. Countless stars shimmered, lightning and thunder tore through the darkness, and the blinding glare made everyone shut their eyes.

Xia Longyuan’s God-Slaying Fist had returned to the world!

Facing this punch that no mortal could withstand, Bo’e showed no panic. He swiftly pulled a blood talisman from his bosom and hurled it forward.

The reason he was a shaman was that he was a servant of the gods and one close to them. He did not rely solely on his own strength; he could call upon more divine power.

The Eternal Heaven God had been forced to self-destruct at sea, grievously wounded, and could no longer perform a divine descent. But he had sealed his power within this blood talisman. When Bo’e threw it, a phantom fist clashed against Xia Longyuan’s.

“Boom!” A violent, unmatched collision of energy. The combatants who had been fighting earlier each shielded themselves and swiftly retreated from the blast center.

When the battle turned into a clash of gods, mere mortals here could not participate—they could not even get close.

Under the raging shockwave, Xia Longyuan and Bo’e both spat blood.

Xia Longyuan’s dying-flash punch was, after all, far from his peak power; fortunately, the Eternal Heaven God’s sealed strike was not at full strength either, and combined with Bo’e’s own Imperial Realm power against Xia Longyuan, they ended in mutual injury!

Bo’e felt a grudging admiration, but it did not matter. He knew that after all this exertion, once Xia Longyuan’s power faded, he would be nothing but a decrepit old man, soon to fall. There was no need to fight to the death now; otherwise, if Li Shentong and the others surrounded him, he would not escape.

With that thought, Bo’e swiftly darted to retrieve the war axe that was still locked in stalemate with the four spirit swords. That was the divine axe of the Heavenly God—it could not be left here. He would take it and leave.

But just as his hand was about to touch the axe handle, a gentle breeze swept by.

A scrawny old man, shouldering a great axe, vanished as he fled.

His laughter rang through the air: "The shaman's gift, I dare not refuse~ This is far more amusing than Xia Longyuan's underpants... pfft, cough, cough, cough..."

By the end, he seemed unable to withstand the overflowing power of the battle-axe, suffering no light injury; his coughing faded, and none knew if he had died.

Bo'e was so enraged he could spit blood, but before he could give chase, Xia Longyuan's fist was already before him! If he were to go circling around that rogue, he feared he himself might never return!

Bo'e weighed it for only half a second, then swiftly vanished in a flash.