The might of myths, vast and boundless, tore through the thick, sky-obscuring gray fog. The rising dust clouds and surging tides of energy, like rolling waves, spread towards the oasis.
Many merchant caravans, preparing to depart, were met with wind and debris whistling towards them. They smacked their lips, tasting dryness mixed with the scent of mud.
"Ptooey!"
"Damn it! What happened!"
"A battle of myths has erupted!"
The divine status of myths was too high; even slight ripples could leave them severely injured or on the brink of death, filling many with dread. Yet, amidst their fear, a spark of excitement flickered in many eyes, the thrill of witnessing a momentous event, a spectacle most would never see in their lifetime.
Though the reputation of Lord Yuliss, the controller of poison clouds, inspired terror.
This being, capable of transforming an entire grand oasis into a desolate land in an instant. Having heard these terrifying rumors, rationality prevailed for many merchant guilds, and they no longer hesitated, retreating towards the other side of the oasis.
The few remaining, skilled and bold, employed various means to observe from afar.
There was a slight concern.
After all, if the guardian myth of the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild proved insufficient, they too might suffer. For their own safety, they hoped the myth of the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild would prevail.
"Don't worry, with two divine lords guarding this place, we are as stable as Mount Tai."
"But since Myth Yuliss dared to come knocking so openly, he must have some reliance, right?"
"They are likely after treasures like the Pure Heart Tea Tree and the Source Water. After all, the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild announced they would auction Source Water again in a year. Such temptation... if I were a myth, I might not be able to resist."
The four mythical beings who had departed had not been without their thoughts.
However, mythical beings who pursued the orthodox route of oasis management were typically of the lawful alignment. Firstly, they had their own established foundations, and if they acted unscrupulously, their own homes might be endangered; secondly, once they tasted the sweetness of plunder, it might open Pandora's Box, and they would be unable to restrain their desires. Even if it brought immense wealth in the short term, in the long run, it would inevitably lead to ruin.
But a myth like Yuliss was different. He had no fixed income and was ostracized from the orthodox circles.
He acted with utter disregard.
A myth is capital!
"But the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild still has a third myth?"
"No, that one isn't a myth yet, but..."
Star-Forgers like Karios's eyes widened.
The Crown Prince of the Fallen Star City, who remained, exclaimed, "This is not a myth?!"
The bare-chested figure was struck down, yet he rose back into the sky like an invincible war god. Braving the terrifying poison clouds that even myths feared, he dragged down Yuliss, the controller of poison clouds, who stood among the clouds. The two transformed into meteorites and plummeted towards the earth.
As they fell, the vast energy emanating from the bare-chested strongman formed a thick fiery trail, increasing the speed of the already gravity-accelerated meteorites severalfold. The human meteorite became light, became fire, and in less than half a blink, it crashed onto the ground with a deafening roar.
The earth shook violently, immense fissures stretching for thousands of kilometers, and tsunami-like shockwaves rippled outward.
During this process, Myth Yuliss continuously counterattacked. The concentrated poison, born from his endless painstaking efforts, relentlessly assaulted the strong and charming physique before him, causing it to rot, turning shades of purple and blue. Yet, the symptoms of poisoning displayed at this moment were not as severe as the initial erosion by the toxic mist.
This was illogical!
...
This was perfectly logical and incredibly satisfying!
Xing Jinglei grinned, his smile akin to a demon crawling from hell. He paid no heed to the dark green liquid, rich with high concentrations of poison, and licked his lips before slurping it down.
"Tastes good."
The damage from the ingested poison was continuously converted into his own strength under the effect of the Undying Furnace Body.
This buff greatly enhanced his life energy, defense, strength, speed, and healing rate. The higher the frequency of attacks, the faster and stronger the enhancement to Xing Jinglei. Simultaneously, it provided him with targeted resistance. Xing Jinglei had suffered the most from the poison mist, and with hundreds of buffs, he possessed terrifying resistance to poison.
It was as if he could drink poison like plain water.
This action, in Yuliss's eyes, was that of a devil incarnate. And that this six-sensed being would 'praise' his poison as tasting good was a blatant insult.
Myths cannot be insulted!
Perhaps Xing Jinglei's destructive power was not yet sufficient, or perhaps the vitality of a mythical being was exceptionally robust, but Lord Yuliss still exuded a mighty aura. Beneath his tattered robes, his already gaunt and emaciated body shriveled further, like a deflated balloon. Concurrently, an endless torrent of venom surged from the depths of his body, resembling a vast, dark green lake.
Green waves splashed.
Distant mountain peaks melted like wax blocks; the giant pit continued to sink with sizzling sounds; the malevolent entities that lunged from the churning gray mist perished under a thin layer of poison mist from thousands of kilometers away.
Even six-star malevolent entities hundreds of meters in size roared, but upon contact with the dark green lake, their bodies sprouted countless pustules, then disintegrated, shriveled, and fell, all within seconds.
The toxic lake was not large, but the poison mist spread uncontrollably.
Witnessing this scene, Ilexy, whose forehead bore a 'well' shaped expression, had no choice but to wave her hand. Spatial ripples spread across the land, transforming into protective force fields, layer upon layer, sealing off an area of several kilometers.
At the center of the sealed zone was Xing Jinglei, who was riding atop the mythical Yuliss.
He straddled the shriveled body, his massive, poison-stained fists pounding Yuliss's face with the resounding beat of war drums.
"Don't force me... *cough*!"
"Myths cannot be insulted... *cough*!"
"I will use my true... *cough, cough, cough*!"
Yuliss also attempted to attack using other methods. Giant skeletal hands emerged from the ground, eerie green flames flickered, and all manner of abilities rained down upon Xing Jinglei.
But Xing Jinglei's defense was astonishing at this moment. Yuliss's poison cloud, his proudest asset, was rendered ineffective. What could these minor techniques do to break through his defenses? All that resulted were scenes of embarrassing "scraping."
Yuliss was also dazed by the beatings, his shriveled body cracking. Waves of shame and rage surged to the crown of his head.
"You forced me!"
"Myth Form... activate!"
His entire body completely shriveled, leaving nothing but skin. Dozens of dark green venomous pythons, emerging from beneath the skin, merged with the surrounding venom, and at speeds comparable to Xing Jinglei's full burst, they fled in all directions.
Is this Myth Form?
This is not Myth Form!
At the last moment, Yuliss chickened out. Reason prevailed. His condition was not good after ascending to myth, and he lacked the support of a major power. His body, riddled with pollution, had been slow to heal. He had come to snatch the Pure Heart Tea Tree's Source, but he couldn't afford to buy it, so he could only survive by plundering.
However, he never expected to be defeated by a six-sensed being, becoming another background character in the ancient legends of the Shattered Sea, those defeated by perverted six-sensed beings.
Shame!
Anger!
He wished he could transform into Myth Form on the spot and obliterate the perverted six-sensed being who had offended him. But he considered that activating Myth Form in his current state might plunge him into madness. It wasn't worth it; it wasn't worth it. He, Yuliss, still had hundreds of years of lifespan left!
He fled.
He chased.
Xing Jinglei could not keep up, unable to even distinguish which snake was Yuliss's true form.
"Hmph, as expected of a brute. At the critical moment, it's still up to this Empress to make her move!"
Ilexy's clear and resonant voice instantly spread for dozens of kilometers.
She was originally furious. As the Empress of the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild, reduced to a mere support role, her sole function on the battlefield was to curb the spread of poison mist. Ilexy found this unbearable. Especially with Xing Jinglei, the hulking brute, hogging the spotlight while she had to cooperate with his grandstanding. When had Ilexy ever endured such humiliation?
Now, humph, humph, humph, it still fell to her to secure the decisive victory.
This feeling was exquisite.
In the gusting wind, Ilexy's lips couldn't help but curl upwards. She couldn't tell which of the dozens of snakes was the real body and which were clones, but she had her methods.
"Fire, come!"
Her voice echoed for dozens of kilometers.
Ordinary flame-spewing abilities, amplified by the 'Gate of Infinity,' instantly became like endless heavenly fire, burning the poison mist and venom. The initial burning speed was not fast; the essence of Ilexy's flames was far inferior to the highly toxic venom. But as the burning began, the attack of the Gate of Infinity hit its 'target,' providing Ilexy with waves of feedback and amplification.
Her mental power continuously rose, and the power of her flames increased.
In a moment, the power of her flames had increased severalfold, and the fire had expanded dozens of times, burning the toxic marsh and mist, which were now like water without a source, and forcing the giant pythons formed from venom into desperate straits.
And the sea of fire remained boundless.
Before long, the venomous pythons were scorched dry, leaving only Yuliss's original form, which reluctantly revealed itself in the vast sea of fire. He reanimated the cloud formed by the toxic substance, enveloped himself in spheres of dark green poison mist for protection, and pierced through the sea of fire, heading afar.
But as soon as Yuliss flew up, the space in the sky began to distort. It was as if hundreds of thousands of invisible hands emerged from the ripples of the Gate of Infinity, descending from all directions.
Like layers upon layers of barriers.
Even though Yuliss shattered these with immense force, his speed of flight was inevitably slowed. This delay allowed the hulking figure, like a small giant, to catch up, seize him, and tightly grasp him. Cracking sounds emanated from his body under the deathly grip of the small giant's embrace.
Yuliss, with a ferocious expression, shouted at the strongman who held him captive:
"I surrender!"
Ilexy, Xing Jinglei: "Huh?" x2
...
...
As the toxic marsh, energy torrents, and heavenly fire erupted, the battlefield of the mythical war outside the oasis was obscured. Many who were watching the battle gnawed their ears in impatience.
However, if they were to step out of the oasis and observe more closely, they would not dare.
While many were chattering and staring into the distance, a figure in white robes walked at an unhurried pace down the sparsely populated street. The newcomer passed through hurried merchant caravans and mercenaries, like a white ghost. Wherever he went, no one paid him any attention.
Until a figure in a green robe blocked his path.
The folding fan in his hand was gone, replaced by an exaggerated scythe. A broken holy sword was tucked into his waist. The green-robed man stood there, dozens of paces away from the cloaked figure.
"Pavilion Master."
A divine aura diffused, and an invisible force emanated, making the entire street appear to be submerged underwater, rippling continuously.
At the core of the spreading ripples were two points: the green-robed man and the white-robed man.
The white-robed figure's hood was not pulled up. His short, unkempt hair danced wildly in the wind, and his face was that of a man in his forties, with chiseled features, a hint of stubble, and a rugged, mature charm.
And this face, this appearance, Qianqiu had seen before, once.
It was hard to imagine that this was the person who personally established the Hidden Kill Pavilion and had a formidable reputation throughout the Shattered Sea...
"The Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion!"
The clashing divine auras attracted many gazes, and people finally realized that another major event was unfolding.
The white-robed figure's appearance was not unique; one could find many similarly dressed individuals in any large city. However, if this was a myth, a myth who habitually wore white robes and had a rugged, mature face, then it was highly likely to be...
Star-Forger Karios's expression changed.
"Why is even this important figure here?"
Furthermore, it seemed that this green-robed storyteller myth from the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild was acquainted with the Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion?
He faintly felt that he had stumbled upon a secret.
The council members of Da Mi Luan City, harboring similar thoughts, stared intently, muttering about explosive news and such.
...
In the center of the street, a chill wind blew.
The Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion looked at Qianqiu, his expression unsurprised.
"As expected."
"Your talent... pure divine radiance... a myth, so that's how it is."
"Since you have ascended to myth, you are indeed qualified to stand before me. However, traitors must pay a price."
His gaze was calm as water, resting on Qianqiu.
It seemed devoid of killing intent, yet a pressure like a mountain washed over them.
This was a veteran myth!
From their conversation, Karios also understood, "So that's how it is. This Lord Qianqiu is a newly ascended myth, no wonder I've never heard of him before."
"A newly ascended myth, he's no match for a veteran myth like the Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion!"
Someone commented.
Newly ascended myths were in a period of rapid growth, familiarizing themselves with mythical power, accumulating divine particles, and learning to develop other abilities. All of this required time.
And clearly, this Lord Qianqiu had only ascended a few months ago, so new that he couldn't be newer.
In contrast, the Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion, his reputation far surpassed that of Lord Yuliss outside the oasis, and he had a record of defeating myths multiple times. Of course, these victories were rarely known. Karios, being privy to some classified information within the Seven Star Alliance, had only stumbled upon related intelligence by chance.
"The myth of the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild is about to lose, and won't last long."
However, compared to losing to the external Myth Yuliss, Karios was not worried about the impact of the Blazing Fire myth losing to the Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion—he was not worried about his own personal safety.
The Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion operated according to rules; this time, he was only here for personal grievances.
Regardless of whether he took the treasures of the Blazing Fire Merchant Guild afterward, he would not slaughter passersby—as long as they were not caught in the crossfire. At worst, their Seven Star Alliance had ongoing business dealings with the Hidden Kill Pavilion; he felt his safety was assured.
However, Karios still signaled his attendants to move away from the battlefield and observe from a few kilometers away.
The two seemed to still be conversing.
The divine auras that diffused and clashed already indicated a disparity in strength. Unfortunately, for their own safety, they had retreated several kilometers away and could no longer hear the content of their conversation.
It was likely secrets only accessible to the mythical circle, what a pity.
"Pavilion Master, to be honest, the operational model of the Hidden Kill Pavilion has issues. Being on call 24/7 is a dead end, especially when your Hidden Kill Pavilion's 007s are paid so little. You can't treat us assassins like cattle, right?"
"As a former top-tier employee of the Hidden Kill Pavilion, after months of consideration, I have a few immature suggestions."
"Tasks should be from 9 to 5, and meals should include food of a certain grade as work meals. That way, everyone will have the strength to work."
"Also, there should be two days off per week, and two weeks of paid leave annually... and so on. Pavilion Master, I'm saying all this for your own good."
Looking at Qianqiu shaking his head, a vein throbbed slightly on the Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion's forehead.
Before, how did he not know this guy talked so much?
He didn't respond to a single word. The assassins were merely tools cultivated by the organization, and tools should act like tools. Broken? Replace them; replacement is far easier than maintenance.
However, since Qianqiu had emerged from among the tools to become a myth among assassins, he was worthy of his attention.
"Let me test your mettle. Do not, disappoint me—"
His voice rose like wisps of smoke, and as it dispersed, the Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion had already vanished, leaving behind only simple human figures sketched like stick figures.
Perhaps dozens, perhaps hundreds, these figures silently traversed the sky and earth. In the blink of an eye, they merged a hundred meters behind Qianqiu, revealing the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master in his white robe.
As if nothing had happened.
There was no torrent-like energy impact, the wind was faint, and the ground showed no scratches. Sounds were non-existent. Compared to the grand mythical battle outside the oasis, what was happening here seemed like an illusion.
Another two seconds passed before a faint sound of tearing fabric was heard.
Qianqiu's green robe was torn apart, leaving only ragged strips fluttering in the wind. His inner armor beneath the robe was also rent, and drops of blood, crimson with a hint of gold, trickled down.
Drip~ Drip.
The two had exchanged dozens of blows in the past tenth of a second. Qianqiu was utterly defeated, falling behind in terms of technique, experience, strength, and speed. The Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion's ability to disappear and reappear as stick figures was completely incomprehensible to Qianqiu; even after dozens of exchanges, he could not discern any clues.
Too strong.
"The gap is even greater than I imagined."
"No, it's just that this Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion is too strong; my eyes can't keep up!"
"This is extremely rare intelligence on the Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion's actions... Uh, if we saw such a secret, won't we be eliminated by the Hidden Kill Pavilion?"
Some marveled, others shivered.
The Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion paid no mind to those ants; beings below the rank of myth were not qualified to enter his sight.
His eyes were still fixed solely on Qianqiu.
"From now on, I will not hold back."
"What a coincidence, me neither. Pavilion Master, please accept my next move—Thousand Layers, Ten Thousand Turns, Dreamy Illusionary Bubble!"
In Qianqiu's pupils, a mysterious symbol appeared.
Reflecting the singular figure of the Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion.
*Crack*—
Space seemed to shatter and then reforge itself.
To outsiders, Qianqiu merely turned around. The two mythical lords faced each other again, separated by a hundred meters, with the atmosphere filled with imminent killing intent.
After a long moment, no, only an instant.
Lord Qianqiu's tattered clothes suddenly ripped further, and blood, golden-red mythical blood, splattered from several areas on his arms and torso.
But the greater change was in the Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion.
He inexplicably knelt on one knee, blood spraying like from a pressurized hose. His torso bore a wound that almost bisected his entire upper body, his internal organs clearly visible.
Witnessing this, Qianqiu's lips curved upwards, a genuine smile spreading across his face.
It was as if he had finally conquered a hellish difficulty level after countless failures and arduous efforts.
Outside the oasis, Myth Yuliss, who had feigned surrender but was secretly waiting for an opportunity, was quietly casting his gaze towards the Blazing Fire Oasis.
Suddenly, his face went blank.
A mouthful of golden-red blood sprayed from his contorted mouth.
Pavilion Master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion, you betrayed me!