Simultaneously traversing: traversing countless heavens

Chapter 99 The Eleventh in the World

After the Battle of Tai'an City, the Liyang Kingdom was destroyed, marking the end of the Spring and Autumn Period's Nine Kingdoms era, and the Western Chu Kingdom established itself as the dominant power in the world.

Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

The situation of the python swallowing the dragon has quietly taken a turn.

Northern Mang, the Nangong family.

The night rain poured down like a celestial river, washing over every tile of the roof in the high walls and deep courtyards.

Thunder rumbled behind the clouds, and flashes of lightning occasionally tore through the night, momentarily illuminating the menacing beasts on the eaves of the mansion before plunging back into deeper darkness.

Outside the courtyard, footsteps approached in rapid succession, like a dense drumbeat.

The figures were all dressed in tight-fitting clothes and carrying sharp blades. They let the cold rain soak their clothes. No one held an umbrella, and no one talked. Only the occasional soft sound of weapons touching armor mixed with the sound of rain, revealing a cold and murderous atmosphere.

boom-!!!

A loud bang suddenly shattered the rain curtain!

The two heavy, vermilion-lacquered nanmu courtyard gates, which symbolized the majesty of the aristocratic family, were blasted away from the inside by an incomparably violent force!

The ear-piercing noise of a broken door hinge, the muffled thud of wood shattering, mingled with the sounds of wind and rain.

The splinters of wood, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, shot out like shrapnel, crashing heavily onto the slippery bluestone ground outside the courtyard, splashing up clumps of muddy water.

A figure in purple stumbled and fell out; it was none other than Nangong Batian, the eldest brother of the Nangong family.

He plowed two deep furrows in the mud with his toes before barely managing to steady himself. His chest heaved violently, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The blood mixed with the pouring rainwater left shocking deep stains on his purple robe, which were quickly washed away and faded.

His face was contorted with extreme rage and excruciating pain, his eyes bloodshot as if about to spill from their sockets. He stared intently at the dark, gaping doorway, as deep and menacing as a beast's maw, and roared, his voice drowning out the thunder and rain: "Bastard!"

"kill--!"

"Kill them all!! Leave no one alive!!!"

The dozens of Nangong family retainers and assassins who had been standing solemnly outside the courtyard moved at the command, as if a lurking beast had suddenly awakened.

Black figures surged into the courtyard like a tide, the sounds of swords being drawn echoing continuously. The gleaming blades reflected a chilling light in the occasional flashes of lightning, instantly slicing through layers of rain.

However, just as they rushed into the broken doorway, they collided head-on with a dark figure that darted out from the depths of the courtyard!

It was a man dressed in a dark, close-fitting outfit. The fabric was so dark and wet that it almost absorbed all the faint light around him.

His long hair was unbound, cascading over his shoulders like splashed ink, flying backward in the wind and rain as he sped along.

What was most unsettling were his eyes, calm as an ancient well, reflecting the glint of swords, the rain, and the surging shadows of enemies, yet remaining undisturbed.

He was holding a little girl in white tightly in his arms.

The girl was slender, her eyes were closed, and her long eyelashes were wet with rain, quietly covering her pale cheeks.

Her face was exquisitely beautiful, like a jade porcelain doll painstakingly sculpted by an artisan, but at this moment it was lifeless, letting the cold rain soak her raven-feather-like hair and thin clothes.

The man held her protectively against his chest, his arms as steady as a mountain. He absorbed all the force of her speed, turns, and movements, ensuring that the child in his arms was not disturbed in the slightest.

His figure collided violently with the surging crowd in the next instant!

There was no deafening roar, only a teeth-grinding, dense thud of flesh colliding and bones shattering, which instantly drowned out the sound of the rain.

The man in black, however, was like an ink line cleaving through the turbid waves, cutting straight into that black tide.

His movements were so fast that they outpaced the afterimages of sight. He steadily protected the girl in his arms with one hand, pressing her small face against his chest, completely isolating her from the murderous intent and bloodshed outside. His other hand, whether palm or finger, seemed to be casually wielded, but contained terrifying power capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks.

Where the palm strike passed, the air emitted a booming sound as it was rapidly compressed, and the fierce and unparalleled qi surged and rippled, forming transparent ripples visible to the naked eye.

The weapons of the several skilled fighters at the forefront snapped as easily as rotten wood the moment they came into contact with the qi.

It wasn't just their weapons that broke, but also their protective inner energy, bones, and internal organs.

As if struck head-on by an invisible siege hammer, the men coughed up blood and flew backward uncontrollably, knocking over their colleagues and rolling into the mud.

Among the crowd, a martial arts master known as "Iron Wall" in the Northern Wilderness Jianghu, who had reached the first-grade Vajra Realm, roared and channeled all his strength. His skin gleamed with a metallic sheen as he met the black-clad man's casual palm strike head-on with both palms as if pushing up mountains.

The intention was to confront them head-on and block their advance.

However, the instant their palms met, the ferocious confidence on the face of the "Iron Wall" guest elder instantly turned into boundless horror and fear.

His protective aura, which he had cultivated for decades and was strong enough to withstand divine weapons, shattered like paper.

Immediately following was a clear, teeth-grinding cracking sound of bone breaking.

His massive body shuddered violently, his chest visibly caved in, and he lay stiffly on the ground like a felled tree stump, lifeless.

The rabbit leaps and the cuckoo falls, a flash of lightning.

The man in black did not stop for a moment, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake, carving out a path paved with pain and fear.

From the inner courtyard of the mansion to the outer high walls, this distance, which was originally heavily guarded and could be described as a den of dragons and tigers, was actually torn open by him in such an unstoppable manner, and it looked like he was about to completely break out of the Nangong family's mansion.

"Who are you?!" Behind him came Nangong Batian's roar, a mixture of pain, anger, and fear.

He barely managed to suppress his turbulent blood and qi, and in the pouring rain, he raised his sword and pointed it angrily, but his arm trembled slightly due to internal injuries and extreme emotions.

Intense humiliation and resentment consumed his reason.

His eyes were bloodshot, and with a flick of his sword, he disregarded the strain on his meridians and frantically poured his remaining true energy into the sword.

In an instant, the famous sword "Autumn Water" passed down from ancient times emitted a clear and resonant sound. On its three-foot-long blade, a dazzling sword light nearly a foot long was emitted, forcing the surrounding rain to open up into a vacuum!

The sword light tore through the thick rain curtain, emitting a sharp "hissing" sound. He flicked his wrist, and several condensed, tangible, and incomparably sharp sword energies tore through the air, carrying a resolute determination to fight to the death, targeting the black-clad man's back, back of the head, and knees, among other vital points!

The man in black seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; his swift figure never stopped, nor did he even look back.

His footwork was mysterious and unpredictable, seemingly slow but actually swift. His body swayed, shifted to the side, and took a step within a small space, thus avoiding the deadly sword energy one by one without a hair's breadth. His posture was so calm that it was almost elegant.

The only sword aura that struck from a tricky angle, aimed directly at the back of the girl in his arms, was one he could not avoid.

Just as the sword energy was about to reach him, he didn't turn his head. He simply tightened his left hand, which was protecting the girl, and casually flicked his sleeve with his free right hand.

The movements were light and graceful, without the slightest hint of grime.

However, a powerful aura, as refined as steel refined through a hundredfold, yet as vast and profound as a surging ocean, burst forth from his sleeve.

That sharp sword energy, capable of piercing through iron armor and tearing apart protective true energy, crashed into this seemingly soft barrier of qi, and failed to even stir a ripple. It was like a snowflake thrown into a furnace, silently and completely annihilated and vanished without a trace.

Throughout the entire process, his deep, still eyes remained calm, without the slightest ripple.

Rainwater slid down his angular face, but it couldn't wash away the silence in his eyes.

The life-or-death struggle, the flashing swords, and the fury of powerful families before him seemed like nothing more than a few disturbances to his peaceful dreams, not worth a second glance.

This indifference, treating thousands of troops as nothing, chilled Nangong Batian to the bone more than any ferocious killing intent. What surged up with it was an overwhelming sense of resentment and humiliation that almost devoured him.

"Such martial arts skills—you are no ordinary person! Hiding your head and showing your tail, what kind of hero are you?!" Nangong Batian's voice was hoarse, every word filled with tears.

"Little sister, you were truly blind! You let a wolf into the house! You've schemed and plotted, hiding in my Nangong family for ten years, all for this day?!"

Nangong Batian, a dignified first-grade Vajra Realm expert, is considered one of the top masters in the Northern Wilderness Jianghu and even in the world. When has he ever suffered such a defeat?

In the sudden exchange of blows in the courtyard just now, I exerted all my strength, yet I was no match for the opponent who could easily defeat me in a single move!

"Excellent—excellent indeed! Thank you, Guanying! You bastard!"

The news of his younger sister's murder and cannibalism gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake, causing him to lose his reason.

At this moment, even the bloodline left by his younger sister and Xie Guanying became, in his eyes, a bastard child that had to be erased, a child that carried shame and hatred.

"You all deserve to die!!!"

Nangong Batian let out a desperate roar like a wild beast, his eyes bloodshot, and he recklessly reversed his true energy!

A tearing pain shot through his meridians, his dantian felt like it was about to explode, but he channeled this destructive power along with all his anger...

Hatred and resentment were all poured into the broken sword in his hand!

call out--!

He became one with his sword, transforming into a fierce and resolute purple lightning sword light that burned with life and soul, tearing through the rainy night and slashing straight at the back of the man in black's neck at several times the speed of before!

This sword strike is devoid of defense; it is a mad act of mutual destruction!

The sword light surged, its killing intent so intense it was almost tangible. Wherever it passed, even the falling raindrops were instantly evaporated and vaporized. It was determined to cut the man in black and the bastard he was protecting in his arms in two!

However, this final masterpiece, which embodied his life's cultivation, all his anger, and even the brilliance of his life, came to an abrupt end just a hair's breadth away.

The man in black didn't even turn around.

He casually extended his right hand, which had just extinguished the sword energy, backward a little, and made a loose grasp.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

That wild, beautiful, and resolute purple lightning sword light, that sword that embodied all of Nangong Batian's destructive will, seemed to have struck an invisible yet indestructible barrier between heaven and earth.

Forged from fine steel and imbued with the dazzling sword light generated by his reversed true energy, the sword emitted a chilling, extremely sharp creaking sound within the invisible cage of qi formed by the black-clad man's five fingers—the final lament of metal before its structure completely collapsed under irresistible force.

Then bang!

The longsword shattered inch by inch!

Countless fragments, carrying the surging true energy of the two, transformed into a deadly metal storm that shot out in all directions!

"Ugh—!"

"Pfft!"

The several retainers and assassins who were gathered nearby, waiting for their chance to strike, had no time to react at all.

The protective aura was as thin as a cicada's wing in the face of these fragments.

In an instant, the muffled sound of flesh being pierced and the piercing screams mingled together.

Some had their arms severed by shards, others had their chests or throats pierced, and blood gushed out like fountains in the rainy night, only to be quickly washed away and diluted by the relentless rain, forming winding, dazzling pale red streams on the ground.

The man in black then reached out and, in the instant when Nangong Batian's mind was shaken by the explosion of his weapon and his protective aura dissipated, precisely grabbed his soaked front.

That grab, seemingly casual, contained an irresistible command. No matter if you were a top-tier master or above, there was no way to escape.

Then, he swung his arm and threw it!

Nangong Batian felt an irresistible, immense force coming towards him. His body was lifted off the ground uncontrollably, the wind whistling in his ears, and the scenery before his eyes flashing past. Like a stone thrown by a catapult, he crashed heavily into the depths of the rain curtain ahead!

Amidst the rain, a figure stood silently, its presence unknown.

The man was dressed in a dark brocade robe, with the intricate Nangong family crest embroidered on it in dark gold thread. Although he stood in the pouring rain, not a drop of rain touched him.

His white hair was as white as snow, meticulously tied within his purple-gold crown. His face was gaunt, with wrinkles as sharp as if carved by a knife. His eyes, when they opened and closed, did not gleam with sharpness, but rather were as deep as an ancient well, as if they had taken in all the storms, killing intent, and chaos around him without causing a ripple.

He was the current head of the Nangong family, a peerless figure in the Northern Wilderness martial arts world who was not well-known but had already entered the Celestial Phenomenon Realm for many years.

He simply stood there, and his very presence seemed to connect with the raging wind and rain and the earth beneath his feet, creating a world of his own.

The raindrops, falling violently, seemed to encounter an invisible, slippery wall three feet away from him, naturally deflecting and sliding away to form a strange, waterless zone.

Seeing his eldest son being thrown over like a rag doll, the old patriarch slightly raised his eyelids and let out a barely audible cold snort.

He did not make any large movements, but simply raised his withered right hand and gently flicked his sleeve towards the void.

The movements were slow and gentle, without a trace of worldliness.

However, with his flick, the power of heaven and earth within a radius of several feet seemed to be quietly stirred by an invisible hand.

The torrential rain, which had been pouring down vertically, suddenly became gentle and dense, like countless soft silk ribbons, wrapping around and enveloping the incoming Nangong Batian.

That fierce force, powerful enough to shatter a stone tablet, was gradually dissolved and vanished into nothingness within the gentle and continuous flow of water.

Finally, Nangong Batian landed peacefully on the slippery bluestone ground beside the old patriarch, like a piece of porcelain being gently placed. Apart from his original injuries, he did not suffer any new wounds.

At the same time, the old patriarch's right hand, which had just been extended, had already slightly bent into a claw, aimed at the black-clad man who was trying to use the force to escape.

"Leave."

The aged voice was not loud, yet it clearly pierced through the sound of the pouring rain, carrying an undeniable authority.

Before the words were even finished, a strange phenomenon occurred!

Centered on the old patriarch, all the raindrops falling within a radius of ten feet suddenly stopped in mid-air!

Millions of crystal-clear water droplets float in the darkness, as if time has stood still.

The next instant, all the raindrops turned, their sharp ends pointing directly at the man in black!

Every drop of rain seemed to be imbued with a cold will and the power to pierce through metal and stone, transforming into countless fine and dangerous "water needles" that blocked all possible directions for the man in black to dodge and move around.

Driven by the flow of Qi, heaven and earth form a prison!

The old patriarch's five fingers, which were clenched in a grasping motion, slowly closed, as if he wanted to crush the space shrouded in the "water needles".

He did not immediately unleash that earth-shattering attack, but the immense and terrifying pressure that stirred the heavens descended like an invisible mountain, locking onto the figure of the man in black.

The remaining retainers and the wounded struggling to their feet in the distance felt a tightness in their chests and a stagnation of blood and qi under the oppressive aura that seemed like divine might. Even breathing became incredibly difficult, and their eyes were filled with endless awe and fear.

Just as the old master was about to unleash his power, his aura reaching its peak and resonating with the power of heaven and earth, the man in black turned to the side and looked up.

The movements were fluid and natural, without any sense of preparation or wariness, as if he had simply glanced up at the road ahead while walking with his head down on a rainy night.

After the countless glittering raindrops hovered in the sky, two pairs of eyes met silently in the pouring rain of the night.

There were no words, no booming sounds of clashing energies, and not even any premonition of hostility.

Time seemed to stretch out for a moment.

The old patriarch's gaze narrowed almost imperceptibly the instant it met the other's calm, unfathomable pupils.

In a daze, what I saw was no longer a rainy night ambush, no longer the black-clad men and the little girl fleeing in panic.

Deep within those calm eyes, it seemed as if mountains of corpses and seas of blood suddenly appeared, as well as the phantom of swords and horses trampling mountains and rivers, the endless struggle between the high court and the far reaches of the martial world, and even more so, an extreme indifference and loneliness that transcends all living beings and regards all things as straw dogs.

It wasn't killing intent, yet it was more chilling than any killing intent; it wasn't oppressive, yet it sent a long-lost instinctive tremor through the depths of his soul, even though he was a top expert who could influence celestial phenomena.

It was as if he was facing not a person, but a bottomless abyss, an invisible sword hanging in the heavens that had once drunk up the fortune of a dynasty.

Buzz!

Within my soul, it seemed as if a thousand swords and blades were clanging!

Before my eyes, light and shadow intertwine, revealing only shattered sharpness and scenes of annihilation!

He couldn't even unleash that palm strike!

It wasn't that my inner energy was stagnant, nor that the forces of heaven and earth were beyond my control, but rather—I dared not.

His intuition was warning him, screaming madly.

In a flash, the old patriarch felt that something he absolutely did not want to happen would occur after he struck out with this palm.

Everyone present, even the Nangong family's thousand-year-old legacy, was reduced to dust.

The old patriarch stood frozen in place, as if under a spell, his hand still raised in a grasping motion, watching helplessly.

In a flash, the man in black withdrew his gaze, as if it had been just a casual glance.

He didn't stop walking.

Mud and water splashed.

Nangong Batian slumped down at his father's feet, watching helplessly as the black figure brushed past him and his father, who stood as tall as a mountain.

So close, yet seemingly worlds apart.

He could even see the girl's temples, wet with rain, and her pale profile. Then, her figure disappeared completely into the boundless, all-consuming torrential rain outside the mansion gates, leaving no trace.

Only the countless rain needles, having lost their target and the pull of the core energy, splashed back into ordinary rainwater with a whoosh, falling limply and creating a mess of water droplets on the ground.

"Father?!" Nangong Batian struggled to sit up, looking at the old patriarch who was as silent as a stone statue. His eyes were filled with disbelief, overwhelming resentment, and deep incomprehension.

His throat tightened, and he wanted to say something more, and wanted to chase after her no matter what.

"return!"

The old patriarch finally spoke, his voice still deep and cold, but colder than the night rain and harder than the bluestone beneath his feet.

He slowly withdrew his raised right hand and placed it behind his back. The invisible aura that blended with heaven and earth subsided, and the rain fell on him again without any obstruction, instantly soaking his brocade robe, but he was completely unaware.

He didn't look at his son, but turned around and shone his light into the depths of the rainy night where the man in black had disappeared, as if trying to pierce through the darkness and see something clearly.

"No one is allowed to chase after him."

The command was concise, decisive, and left no room for doubt.

He looked around, and wherever his gaze fell, whether they were the seriously injured groaning or the surviving retainers still in shock, they all lowered their heads and fell silent.

"Everything that happened in the manor tonight," the old patriarch said, his voice clear and distinct in the rain, "must be kept inside. No matter what you see, hear, or guess, you must not utter a single word."

"Those who violate this rule will be punished."

He didn't mention the consequences, but the sudden, pervasive chill of death, even heavier than the previous oppressive force of heaven and earth, sent a shiver down the spines of everyone who heard his words.

The rain is still falling.

Washing away the bloodstains and covering up the traces, it seemed as if it wanted to bury all the thrilling events and unspeakable secrets of this night within the deep walls of the Nangong family.

Only the old patriarch stood with his hands behind his back in the rain, letting the rainwater stream down his face etched with the marks of time. No one knew what kind of turmoil was churning beneath that calm face.

However, even the strongest defenses cannot completely prevent gossip and slander. Even the most formidable defenses cannot extinguish the whispers and rumors in people's hearts.

With so many people around, there's so much to say, especially on a night like this with such heavy casualties.

Despite the patriarch's strict orders and the survivors' fear and trembling, fragmented, distorted words, mixed with countless speculations and fears, still seeped silently out of the Nangong family's seemingly impenetrable walls, spreading and fermenting quietly in the shadowy corners of the Northern Wilderness.

Rumors circulated that the Nangong family was in turmoil, with a retainer colluding with an enemy and launching a sudden attack. In the rainy night, the retainer brazenly betrayed the family, unleashing a dragon-like palm strike and taking advantage of the chaos to kidnap the young lady of the Nangong family. Even the old patriarch of the Nangong family, who was at the Celestial Phenomenon Realm, was unable to succeed in his attempt to abduct her.

The retainer's name was Zhou Yi. He was known for his unparalleled strength and power in palm techniques, and for having once shattered a treasure ship with a single palm strike on the Canglang River.

His fame spread like wildfire, resounding throughout the Northern Wilderness.

His nickname in the martial arts world was "Iron Hand Across the River."

However, when those who were interested tried to investigate his background and lineage, they found nothing.

Another year of martial arts competition leadership transition.

The Northern Mang court personally designated it as the eleventh in the land.

Please vote with your monthly tickets and give me a reward!

I'm starting anew with this snow-covered story. I've racked my brains, and I don't know if everyone is satisfied.

Please forgive me if the opening is a bit slow.

Since I haven't read the original text, I can only write it while reading it.