“Tsk!”
Seeing Gu Zhixuan retreat without even uttering a harsh word, many people sneered, quite disapproving of the behavior of the two geniuses from the Wansu Sect just now.
After all, just now, two cultivators died without reason under Du Xin’s poison, and the Heart Shattering Poison, which could spread contagiously, might have claimed more lives if Yun Xiao hadn’t intervened.
The reputation of the Wansu Sect on the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud was not very good because of their unscrupulous methods, and many cultivators only dared to be angry but not say anything.
Now, a strange young man suddenly appeared, killed one of the geniuses of the Wansu Sect, and made another genius dare not seek revenge. This is something that is indeed delightful to see.
Gu Zhixuan said no more, and Yun Xiao was happy for the peace. He wasn’t sure if there were any Holy Rank Experts from the Wansu Sect nearby, and if he killed Gu Zhixuan, it might cause some trouble.
As the saying goes, it’s better to avoid trouble if possible. Since Gu Zhixuan knew his place, Yun Xiao decided not to pursue him further and leisurely sat down in the last available spot, ready to comprehend under the Ancient Tree.
Thus, all six spots under the Ancient Tree were filled today. Generally speaking, outsiders wouldn’t proactively disturb others while they were comprehending.
Disrupting someone’s breakthrough is akin to killing their parents. If someone strikes rashly when another is comprehending at a critical moment, it would mean forging an undying enmity between them.
Moreover, three of the six best spots are occupied by Half-step Holy Rank experts, and the other three by veteran Heavenly Realm Peak cultivators. No one wants to make enemies with such experts.
Sizzle!
As Yun Xiao approached the Ancient Tree, ready to sit cross-legged, a sharp tearing sound came suddenly from the side, as if piercing through the air.
“What’s going on?”
Compared to Yun Xiao, the involved party, the bystanders naturally also heard the tearing sound. When they turned their gaze to the direction of the sound, they immediately saw a faintly discernible sword tip darting toward the right side of the white-clad youth’s neck.
“Is someone launching a sneak attack?!”
Among the bystanders, some were quick to react. Just seeing a semi-transparent sword tip darting forward was enough for them to realize that an unexpected event was happening again, and the target of the sneak attack was the white-clad youth who had just shone brightly.
“This sneak attack is remarkably astute. I wonder if the kid can dodge it?”
Among them, an elder at the Heavenly Realm Late Stage with extremely strong Power of Soul stroked his beard contemplatively. It seemed he had confidence in that astonishing strike, believing the white-clad youth stood no chance of evasion.
Apart from the bystanders adopting their indifferent spectator postures, Gu Zhixuan, who had just sat under the tree, was initially shocked and then delighted.
This Wansu Sect genius was startled by the suddenness of the sneak attack, knowing he couldn’t evade it if it targeted him. However, he was delighted because the target of the sneak attack was Yun Xiao, the person he hated the most.
Earlier, Gu Zhixuan had to compromise with the person who killed Du Xin due to concerns in his heart, though he was constantly thinking of regaining his lost face.
Now that someone else was sneak attacking Yun Xiao, if this annoying white-clad kid died unexpectedly, it would undoubtedly be incredibly pleasing for him.
Just as quickly as thoughts flashed through everyone’s minds, the semi-transparent sword tip suddenly pierced Yun Xiao’s right throat and even emerged from the left side of his neck.
“No hope!”
Seeing this, some instinctively sentenced Yun Xiao to death, believing that piercing a vital throat made survival impossible.
“Huh? Why isn’t there any blood?”
After all, there were still sharp-eyed observers. When they noticed no blood flowing from the boy’s pierced throat, they realized things might not be as straightforward as they seemed.
“Humph, can’t hold back anymore, can you?”
While everyone was pondering, a cold snort suddenly rang out, sounding quite familiar. Soon, another familiar voice appeared from somewhere.
The figure was naturally Yun Xiao. At this crucial spot under the Ancient Tree, how could he not have been more guarded? Not disturbing someone at a critical moment had always been a potential rule, and it wasn’t mandatory for everyone to follow.
Moreover, Yun Xiao wasn’t yet one of the six spots, so it was deemed reasonable for others to make a move against him. However, the means of the sneak attack only filled him with contempt.
Yet, with Yun Xiao’s Power of Soul, he had sensed that dangerous aura the moment the person acted, so he used their plan against them, manifesting the Shadow Clone Meridian Techniques at the instant, causing the attacker to stab into nothingness.
“I really want to see what kind of divine creature you, who pretends to be mysterious, truly are?”
Yun Xiao shifted his true body behind the assailant, hearing his cold voice ring out from the person’s mouth. His right leg, charged full of power, kicked directly towards the person’s back.
One must understand that Yun Xiao’s right leg contained an Earth Attribute Ancestor Vein, and if this kick landed, even if the opponent had reached the Half-step Holy Rank or even just entered the Hua Xuan Realm, they would be in deep trouble.
“Huh?”
However, Yun Xiao’s powerful kick ultimately hit nothing but air. Just as he kicked, the person’s entire body seemed to become as limber as if it had no bones, suddenly twisting to the side, causing Yun Xiao to miss.
Swish!
The person who missed the attack reacted swiftly, seemingly with no intent to linger in battle. After evading Yun Xiao’s kick, he flashed away, rapidly retreating to the outskirts.
Perhaps it was because that assailant sensed Yun Xiao’s cultivation just now and realized the power in that kick, choosing not to engage directly with Yun Xiao, and immediately retreated after missing the attack.
Watching the figure disappear into the crowd, Yun Xiao couldn’t help but curl his lips, thinking to himself that this guy was indeed decisive, leaving Yun Xiao without a glimpse of his appearance, which was truly unfortunate.
“Such methods resemble someone from Dark Assassination!”
Recalling the assailant’s stealthy attack methods from earlier, Yun Xiao immediately thought of an organization. In the past, during his time in the Yannan Mountain Range, he had crossed paths with two geniuses from Dark Assassination.
Among them, Mu Qingyi died because of Yun Xiao, while the whereabouts of the other genius, Yue Man Building, remained unknown. However, concerning a Yue Man Building that was only at the Heavenly Realm Middle Stage at that time, Yun Xiao didn’t pay too much attention.
Although he didn’t see the assailant’s appearance from earlier, Yun Xiao was certain that the person’s cultivation wouldn’t be below that of Gu Zhixuan over there, also achieving the status of a Half-step Holy Rank expert.
“What a pity!”
While Yun Xiao fell into deep thought, elsewhere, Gu Zhixuan wore a face full of regret, wondering how that young man’s luck could be so good, evading even such an ambush.
Frankly speaking, the suddenness of that ambush earlier truly astonished Gu Zhixuan, and under such an ambush, he admitted that he wouldn’t have time to react at all.
But that white-robed young man, avoided so leisurely in that critical moment. This made Gu Zhixuan feel regretful in his heart, while also giving rise to a peculiar entanglement.
This entanglement naturally concerned whether or not to avenge Du Xin. Over time, this white-robed young man became increasingly mysterious, able to dodge even such an ambush. What else could this guy not do?
Gu Zhixuan wasn’t a fool; on the contrary, he was quite clever. Especially after surviving by the skin of his teeth in Erosion City, he undoubtedly became more cautious in his dealings.
With absolute certainty, Gu Zhixuan naturally had the capital to be arrogant, but the strength exhibited by that white-robed youth made him feel unsure and perplexed.
If he wasn’t absolutely sure, Gu Zhixuan could only suppress his anger temporarily. Since he couldn’t see that guy die, he likely had no choice but to swallow his resentment today.
The unexpected interlude merely added a few topics of conversation to the location of the Ancient Tree. In fact, the situation was no different from before.
The assailant departed at the first contact, as if leaving without a trace, and that last spot ultimately belonged to Yun Xiao. At this moment, no one dared to compete with him for it.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yun Xiao returned to that position again, and this time, until he sat down cross-legged, nothing unusual occurred, and everything was calm.
Beneath this Ancient Tree, it wasn’t just the innermost six positions that allowed for enlightenment; some positions on the periphery also frequently sparked fierce battles among cultivators.
From the location of the Ancient Tree Trunk to several meters outside, it unmistakably formed a clear, stepwise division. The stronger one’s strength, the closer one was to the Ancient Tree Trunk, and conversely, the more distant.
It wasn’t to say that those on the periphery had no chance. There was once a Heavenly Realm Peak cultivator who, from the outermost area under the Ancient Tree’s cover, achieved the Third Transition Half Saint, taking that most crucial step.
This was merely a matter of probability. The closer one was to the Ancient Tree Trunk, the greater the chance of achieving the Third Transition Assistance Saint, but it wasn’t guaranteed.
This Ancient Tree had stood here for countless years, yet the instances genuinely aiding people in achieving the Third Transition were sparse. Most of the time, after three days, even those six people under the trunk left with regrets.
For the sake of that elusive opportunity, as there was no danger in comprehending beneath the Ancient Tree, various cultivators flocked here, hoping to test their luck.
But although there was no danger in enlightenment under the tree, to compete for those few prime positions, a large number of people died every three days. As for example, today, Huang Wu and Du Xin became the souls perished under this Ancient Tree, never to live again.