Book 10: Chapter 7 – Pilfering Away the Fruit
Xue Ying looked towards the three people before him. Before coming here, he had naturally received relevant information regarding them from Palace Head Chen. They actually formed the strongest team of Demigods sent over from the Deity World by the Temple of the Earth God. Lying on the chair was a tall and sturdy man with red hair—the weakest of the team, Bo Bo. Ba Han was the tall, thin man garbed in thick outer clothing. As for the gold-armored teenager sitting in the pavilion and eating desserts, he was the leader of the team as well as its strongest member, Wu Mai Hai!
This team of Demigods came from the Deity World!
Xue Ying felt an invisible wave of suppression washing over him the moment he looked at the three. The feeling was especially strong when it came from Wu Mai Hai, the one who had the appearance of a teenager yet released a terrifying aura of destruction…as if anyone who dared come near him would be immediately torn apart. His existence represented the final level of the dark destruction Laws of Profound Mysteries in the surroundings.
If the weakest of them has a combat power at the level of an existence who can suppress an era, just how strong is this golden-armored teenager, Wu Ma Hai? Xue Ying was inwardly startled. No wonder they’re considered true elites.
“Are you Dong Bo Xue Ying?” a casual voice suddenly said. It came from the muscular man with fiery-red hair and a pair of burning red eyes. He was sitting up straight and held a flask of wine in his hand.
“Yes.” Xue Ying nodded.
“I’ve heard that you’re the Transcendent with the greatest talent in the entire history of the Xia Clan World, and that you’ve also grasped hold of two different grade two True Meanings,” Bo Bo asked. “I’ve also heard that one of those True Meanings is something akin to the True Meaning of Shadow Space or the True Meaning of Mirage. I wonder, which of the two is it?”
Xue Ying stared blankly before smiling back. “True Meaning of Mirage!”
Palace Head Chen and the others already knew that it was the True Meaning of Mirage which he grasped. They just hadn’t made this fact public.
In truth, it did not make much of a difference whether they made it public or not, since the Demonic Faction and the Sorcerer Palace had already guessed it had to be either the True Meaning of Mirage or of Shadow Space. Both True Meaning were extremely terrifying and specialized in assassination, however, the True Meaning of Mirage was weaker in terms of its offensive ability, but could produce countless images and illusions. Because of that fact, the True Meaning of Mirage was actually better suited as a support for assassination.
The muscular man, Bo Bo, acknowledged, “It is truly formidable for you to have grasped the True Meaning of Mirage.” The tall and thin man as well as the golden-armored teenager turned towards Xue Ying, who just smiled as he kept his ground.
Having decided to join them, he naturally had to show some sincerity.
“It’s such a pity you’ve only cultivated for such a small amount of time and that you’ve been afflicted by the hexing poison, the Six Ghosts Resentment.” Bo Bo continued, “Had you been in the Deity World, there would have most likely been several Deities who would have been willing to help you, considering your innate talent. But here, in the mortal world, they can’t do anything of that sort… Perhaps only the Temporal Temple who are able to travel across the countless worlds might be able to more easily save you. The only issue is that the Temporal Temple would have to take the initiative to invite you.”
Xue Ying did not say anything.
The Temporal Temple?
They had already invited him once, back then! Considering how several of the Demigod teams that had arrived in the mortal world were sent over by the Temporal Temple, they surely knew that he was afflicted by the hexing poison, the Six Ghosts Resentment, and they surely knew the torture he had to go through.
However…they did not invite him again!
Was it because he declined the offer the first time around? Or perhaps they wanted to wait until his most desperate moment before appearing before him and providing some harsher conditions?
Whatever the reason…the fact was, they did not invite him again! Actually, even if they were to invite him again, Xue Ying would give many of his own conditions for joining them, since he clearly knew the terrifying restrictions the Temporal Temple put on their Reincarnators. Should he agree with their conditions, he would most likely never have another day of freedom. Even after his fleshy body was destroyed, his soul would remain under their control to perform additional missions.
Xue Ying could never accept such a lifestyle.
“Bo Bo, there’s no need to say that.” Ba Han, the tall and thin man wrapped in thick garments, looked towards Xue Ying. “Dong Bo Xue Ying, your Palace Head already stopped by and told us your reason for coming here. You should already know, however…that this trip to the Crimson Rock Mountain is a gamble for our lives as well, so we can’t let even a single accident occur.”
“I understand.” Xue Ying nodded.
“To tell you the truth, your combat power is truly too far from ours.” Ba Han continued, “But you have the True Meaning of Mirage, so we might still give it a chance.”
“Right, we’ll give you a chance.” Bo Bo, the muscular man, casually took a green apple from the tray beside him. “Are you paying attention? I’ll place this apple right here!”
As he said that, he extended his hand to place the apple on a stone in front of him.
“If you can take away this apple right here, it means you’re just barely qualified to follow us. If you can’t…then we have no reason to bring you along. We would never bring along a brat who would do nothing but obstruct our business.” Bo Bo’s red eyes fired up with a trace of delight. “Are you ready, Dong Bo Xue Ying?”
Xue Ying understood.
This was the test, the test which this team from the Temple of The Earth God had prepared for him. If he couldn’t pass it, he could only scram.
“I am ready.” Xue Ying nodded.
“As soon as I say start, you can use any method at your disposal.” Bo Bo smiled. “Rest assured, I won’t touch this apple at all; I will only try to obstruct you. If you can take away this apple despite my interference, you will have succeeded.”
The tall and thin man wrapped up in thick clothes squinted his eyes in delight. Wu Ma Hai, the golden-armored teenager who was eating his desserts, also turned to look at Xue Ying.
“Begin!” Bo Bo grinned.
As soon as those words left his mouth…
A clearly visible ray of light shot out from his pair of fiery-red eyes. As this light enveloped the surrounding void, Bo Bo’s aura began rising in intensity as if he had turned into a gigantic meteor. The terrifying waves of suppression which resulted slightly startled Xue Ying. This level of suppression far surpassed those which Faction Head Si Kong Yang and Mountain Lord He released. In his memory, only the Sorcerer God Saber reached a higher level!
The weakest of them already had enough power to suppress and entire era! Indeed, Bo Bo was an expert who had that ability.
“I’ve long since heard about the True Meaning of Mirage, yet this is my first time seeing it in action. Let’s see what you can do.” Ba Han, the man wrapped in thick clothing, was watching Xue Ying.
“Come, let me see your prowess.” Bo Bo’s aura began increasing in intensity, as red light began shining in the surroundings. Clearly, he was on alert for any movement in the surroundings.
The golden-armored teenager, Wu Ma Hai, suddenly frowned and shouted out, “Be careful!”
“Mn?”
Not only Bo Bo, whose body was like a fiery meteor, but also the thin and tall male, Ba Han, both looked at the stone in shock. The apple, originally placed atop of it had already disappeared!
It vanished into thin air without any warning!
Xue Ying was merely standing there, having not made a single move.
He actually sensed me. Xue Ying looked towards the golden-armored teenager. When he acted just previously, his techniques could be considered extremely unpredictable and elusive. Bo Bo’s aura permeated the surroundings, and he was on alert for any movement, while the tall and thin male kept his eyes peeled for any motion. Neither of them, however, realized the moment he acted. That golden-armored teenager, Wu Ma Hai, on the other hand…
Xue Ying could feel a wave of terrifying dark destruction interacting with the undulations resulting from his actions. Of course, he did not stop him, since the test implied that only Bo Bo could interfere! If Wu Ma Hai were to act as well, the test would be too difficult.
“How could that be… That’s, that’s…” Bo Bo opened his eyes wide. The terrifying temperature of his body started to further increase, turning the chair he was sitting on into nothing within moments.
“Too fast.” The tall and thin male did not dare to believe the truth.
“The True Meaning of Mirage is, indeed, the True Meaning of Mirage.” The golden-armored teenager, Wu Ma Hai, laughed in praise. “No wonder it’s considered the most terrifying grade two True Meaning when it comes to assassination. The true body needs not act, as one can just send the Mirage Avatar to do the work. Furthermore, the Mirage Avatar can transform from mirage to reality without releasing any sign of movement. Only during that brief moment when you started moving could I sense the undulations. Your True Meaning of Mirage should have already reached the stage two realm, right? Though, it can’t be at the stage three realm, since if it were, Demigods who grasped hold of a grade two True Meaning like us would be completely unable to discover you.”