Star Gate

Chapter 88: Old Demon Yuan Awakens (I)

A figure descended soundlessly outside the storage container and landed on the scarlet shadow’s head. Sounds of the conversation within drifted to its ears.

The Breathing Method of the Five Styles!

The powerhouse beyond Sunflare slowed his steps. He’d wanted to rush in, grab Li Hao, and burn the kid alive, but now he retracted his mysterious power and froze in place.

Yuan Shuo’s Breathing Method of the Five Styles!

Who knew how many had their eyes set on this method? But the old guy never breathed a word of it. Yuan Shuo was about to die tonight and his student with him. If the method was lost here… it might truly vanish forever!

Perhaps… I can kill Li Hao and just capture Yuan Shuo? The thought floated to the forefront of the person over the scarlet shadow. Treasures tempted the heart, but ordinary items had long lost their allure for him. The Breathing Method of the Five Styles, however, could prod him to action!

The organization valued Yuan Shuo not for his martial discipline—martial masters had entered a state of decline many years ago. It was the countless ancient tomes he held in his mind that were of utmost importance. The old guy had destroyed an endless number of them! He’d ruined them out of self-preservation, retaining the only existing copy of them in his memories!

The figure drifted upon the wind and reappeared outside the storage container. Yuan Shuo and Li Hao were completely oblivious!

The professor continued mumbling final words as the young man lowered his head in throes of anguish, brought to the point of near tears.

“Teacher, I’ll treasure this method well!”

“Mm, good.” Yuan Shuo coughed blood. “Not only that… but I’ll be leaving you… many treasures… and sites of ancient ruins… I’ll tell you ones that… no one else knows… Don’t tell anyone! …They will be the foundation… for your rise… Once you control them… you will have no issue reaching beyond Sunflare… The ancient civilizations… are stronger than we… can imagine!”

“Say no more, teacher!” Li Hao choked out. The guy outside won’t be able to control himself and will rush in if you keep talking!

“It’s… it’s fine… I am a peak Sunderer… I can hold on for a while longer…” Yuan Shuo abruptly lowered his voice as teacher and disciple conversed, “Come closer… I am afraid of others overhearing…”

Li Hao placed his ear next to the old man’s mouth.

The figure outside glanced at Yuan Shuo, but could only make out vague mouth shapes. He couldn’t send in his mysterious power because an ice crystal dome surrounded the area. As he considered potential courses of action, he waved the enormous scarlet shadow into the size of a regular human. It passed through the ice crystals and entered the storage container.

Whether it was him or the shadow, it was all the same. Since he wasn’t at liberty to eavesdrop, he sent the shadow instead. The two could die after he learned what he wished to know! This would also save him the trouble of interrogating Yuan Shuo—he might not obtain all of the secrets in that manner either.

Li Hao nodded with reddened eyes. Yuan Shuo smiled with satisfaction. Got it, the scarlet shadow’s inside! But… can you hold on, kid?

Forget it, they shouldn’t go so far as to kill you right now. Everything’s under my control. Supernaturals are all idiots. How can I so easily let you learn of my secrets?

Sorrow flooded the faces of both teacher and disciple!

“Teacher… farewell!”

“Little Hao… take care of yourself…” Teacher and disciple sobbed in each other’s arms!

The premier powerhouse outside the shipping container stirred restlessly. Hurry up and spit out your secrets, then die!

He’d suppressed his mysterious power to the lowest point possible to prevent detection; he was deathly afraid of Yuan Shuo sensing his presence. The figure fully extinguished his inclination to erupt in sudden fury and sweep the enemies away. Hurry the hell up!

The duo inside were so melodramatic, it was as if Yuan Shuo would die in the next second!

The figure shifted the scarlet shadow so it could gain clear insight on their conversation. Did it have something to do with certain ancient ruins, the secret art of the Breathing Method of the Five Styles, or something similar?

He leaned forward and pricked his ears up, but failed to hear anything.

Inside the shipping container.

Yuan Shuo coughed violently as he tightened his grip on his weapon. “Little Hao… recite the Breathing Method of the Five Styles… again… I’m afraid that you’ll forget it…”

“There are thirty-eight thousand acupoints in a person’s body.” Li Hao lowered his head without protest and murmured, “One acupoint for one inhale, one acupoint for one exhale. The breathing method utilizes the essence of the five beasts—that of flight, earth bending, running, agility, and strength…”

The person outside shifted with excitement at hearing the narration. I am the only person in the world who knows Yuan Shuo’s Breathing Method of the Five Styles after today!

Yuan Shuo blurred into motion when the figure concentrated on listening for more. The opportunity was upon them!

He soundlessly erupted with qi and blood, brandishing the large blade to send a trail of qi through the air! Yuan Shuo held absolutely nothing back—pulling one’s punches against a powerhouse like this was to beg for death.

His consciousness flared like a furnace, shattering all of the ice crystals! They immediately assembled into a cage and shot at the powerhouse outside through the manipulations of Yuan Shuo’s mind. Such was battle experience!

Breaking the ice crystals was an effective obstruction of potential counterattacks. Even if he couldn’t fully subdue the other’s mysterious power, momentary suppression during a clash of powerhouses was sufficient to decide the outcome of battle. It would determine who walked away and who died with dishonor.

A streak of blood-red qi evaporated the rainwater around them!

Severing with one stroke!

Boom!

A massive explosion rang out as blade light illuminated heaven and earth!

The premier powerhouse was fully revealed to teacher and disciple—a middle-aged man with no face covering. A ferocious and unbridled look glinted out of his eyes; long hair flowing from his head, he appeared younger than Liu Long.

It was no wonder he was such a heavyweight—though blinded by greed, he still reacted with the fastest speed possible. He roared when Yuan Shuo’s blade descended on him and raised both hands to the sky. A transparent shield coalesced on top of them. It exploded with scintillating illumination that exceeded Sunflare!

Sunflare was the peak of comprehension for ordinary people. Those who exceeded this level were a titan in any organization. The supernatural snarled after manifesting his shield and fractured the earth with one stomp!

“You court death!”

BOOM!

A tremendous explosion rocked the area. Despite the powerhouse’s shout, Yuan Shuo still shattered the other’s shield with one blow. Blood sprayed from the supernatural’s mouth, but he remained just as unyielding. He followed his stomp and sank into the ground, minimizing the effects of the ice crystals.

Not only that, but a golden longsword appeared in his hand the moment the shield broke. Formed of incomparably keen mysterious power, its edge knew no bounds.

“Yuan Shuo!” he shouted and threw himself at the old man. The best defense was offense—he could not let this martial blockhead easily break his defenses and draw near for close combat!

Dominator!

He could sense that Yuan Shuo had broken through to Dominator of Thousands!

“ROAR!!” Yuan Shuo shouted as well, as if he were a tiger descended from the mountain that shook the woods with his presence! The sound wave reverberated through nearby rainfall, turning them into arrows of water that shot in all directions.

Despite not being their target, Li Hao was turned into a pin cushion. A scarlet shadow once more appeared in front of him and acted as his defender. Even now, the supernatural did not think he would lose. Since he wouldn’t lose, then Li Hao could not die right now.

The plan to gather the eight bloodlines would not be complete without the young man!

Yuan Shuo’s roar echoed in the four directions and shook his opponent’s mysterious power. His hair spontaneously returned to black and he regained youthful features. The long blade that he gripped tightly whistled through the air with numerous afterimages.

“Martial dao can communicate with the consciousness!” His blood and qi transformed into a dragon upon his shout, turning the void into a blazing furnace. The very air seemed to be on fire and unparalleled flames licked at the long-haired supernatural.

Not real fire, but blood and qi!

Such was a preeminent martial master! The fusion of consciousness, blood, and qi made heaven and earth into a furnace!

“Kill!!” Yuan Shuo sprang out in the air and slashed numerous times. When his weapon shattered, he waved the hilt around and threw punches to subjugate mountain and river!

BOOM!!

Yuan Shuo was mighty beyond belief. The powerhouse beyond Sunflare didn’t have a chance to counterattack before the formidable barrage forced him back. Bam! sounded as the last of a dozen punches sent him flying.

Blood spattered through the void!

There was a noticeable fist imprint on Long Hair’s chest as he was flung backward. Yuan Shuo bore down with unforgiving momentum! He took one step in the air and kicked his leg, whipping it through the void!

This was only the beginning of their battle, yet it immediately surpassed the dueling Sunflares in the distance. Rain no longer fell in this part of the wilderness and illumination turned the sky white.

“Yuan Shuo!” snorted Long Hair. All metallic objects agitated when mysterious power surged around him, morphing into thousands of swords that shot at the professor!

The combatants’ speed was so incomprehensible that they exchanged countless blows in a split second. Yuan Shuo planted himself in the ground like a brown bear and shook the earth with a heavy step. The ground caved in with a rumble when he sprang upward from the pockmarked land, deploying one punch to shatter the metallic swords!

“So what of mysterious power?!” He whipped his leg outward again like he were a demon god, pulverizing the metallic fragments.

Boom!

The two sides drew closer, so fast that Li Hao didn’t understand what they were doing. He couldn’t even see them clearly. All he knew was that his teacher held the upper hand. Long Hair should’ve suffered some damage after being sent flying, but as for how much, he didn’t know.

……

The Sunflares abruptly halted their battle. Huang Yun was rather worse for the wear—he looked burnt and crispy. However, he had no room to spare for himself. He looked at the horizon with stupefaction.

Yuan Shuo!

And the other person…

“It’s you guys!” Huang Yun looked at his opponent with shock and anger. “That’s Divine Brokensky?!”