Chapter 266: End of Enmity
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Under the strength of a united people, countless people had now been completely awakened. The loss of faith from the majority of people caused the Fire Emperor's power to decline further!
But the reason why he had spat out blood was due to anger.
Originally, the Fire Emperor had not been worried about Xu Que inciting the people to turn against him.
However, with the shouting of the Declaration of Independence, coupled with Xu Que's singing, there were more and more people going against the Emperor for freedom and independence!
The Fire Emperor could not withstand the sudden changes and had become too infuriated. In addition to his power dissipating, he had now sustained internal injuries as well.
The power of the Empress had always been mysterious. She was in a slightly disadvantageous position against the Fire Emperor, who had the blessing of the Fire God due to the peoples' ritual, but the Fire Emperor had never had any chance to get close to Xu Que.
Xu Que may have been the main contributor to the Fire Emperor's heavy injuries. However, the Water Empress's skills and magic had played an important part as well!
This woman was definitely very powerful!
"Hong Yan, you bitch, you're actually helping this bastard and pitting yourself against me?" the Fire Emperor roared at the Water Empress, glaring at her with a hideous face. "You're not afraid this will cause a dispute between the two countries? What do you have to gain?"
The Water Empress frowned slightly, shook her head and did not say a word!
From her point of view, the Fire Emperor had gone mad. He no longer had the aura of an emperor and was similar to a dog that had lost its home.
"Dog Emperor, you are the one who said to me that it's a jungle out there. You should have thought of karma when you did all those bad things to me! I waited for a year for a chance to prove that I would take back what I had lost, not to prove how awesome I am! So, your end is here!"
As Xu Que roared, he was excited by the deep memories coming from within his soul—the exhilaration of vengeance.
If ordinary cultivators had encountered this situation, they would have tried their best to suppress these feelings, as these were what the cultivators meant by the heart demon which would haunt them as they continued their cultivation.
But Xu Que wasn't worried about that. He wanted to be carefree. If there were scores to be settled, he would settle them on the spot—if once was not enough then he would take revenge the second time!
He let loose his flames of revenge so that the grudges and resentment of the original owner of this body could be released and liberated.
Only with the death of the Fire Emperor would the last wisp of resentment rest in peace!
Boom!
By now the blessing of the Fire God on the Fire Emperor had been weakened so much that it was essentially nothing, but it seemed to have been replaced by the Fire Emperor's murderous intent.
"Little bastard, you shall accompany me to die together!" he growled like a wild beast. His body suddenly swelled up, and his mouth, nose and eyes burst into flames.
Boom! Another explosion was heard and the whole body of the Fire Emperor was covered in flames.
Majestic pressure covered the whole sky, as if the fire had come from the Ninth Heaven itself, vowing to destroy everything.
"Be careful!" the Water Empress reminded Xu Que, looking grim. At the same time, the tip of her delicate finger glowed with glistening light. She pointed towards the sky and swiped her hand through the air!
Splash!
A huge river appeared out of thin air, dancing through the sky like an enormous fragment of flowing ribbon. The Water Empress led it directly to the Fire Emperor!
Xu Que looked on, stunned for a while. "Little miss, you sure have a lot of water!" he exclaimed.
At the same time, he replaced his sharp sword with the Heavy Buster Sword, and executed the Soaring Dragon's Nine Transformation. He also activated the power of the Sword of the Occult, which was the killing sword that had been maxed out in kills. Wielding his immense powers, he dashed towards the Fire Emperor.
The emptiness was shaken and distorted by the force of the impact.
"Brave the wrath of the Fire Emperor!"
"Forward!"
"Forward!"
"Forward, on …"
At that instant, the song that the system was automatically managing had come to an end, hitting several high notes.
The music still lingered in the minds of the whole crowd as they witnessed the magnificent scene in front of them. They had been shaken awake and hot blood was surging through them.
"Kill the Fire Emperor, liberate the Fire Nation!"
The whole crowd raised their fists high up and yelled, their voices resounding everywhere.
Boom!
Whatever was left of the blessings of the Fire God were gone at that very moment. The Fire Emperor had lost the people's faith; he was back to square one!
However, he had already called upon the horrific supernatural power of the gods by sacrificing himself with the fusion of his body with fire. He was darting through the void and wanting to pounce on Xu Que, determined to die together with him!
"Heheh … little bastard, no one can save you today."
With a savage and angry laughter, the Fire Emperor broke through the giant river that the Water Empress had conjured. The flames on his body did not extinguish, and he continued flying towards Xu Que.
"No, he wants to die together with you!"
The Water Empress wore an expression of shock—she had not expected the Fire Emperor to be mad enough to sacrifice himself for the purpose of killing Xu Que.
Just then, a shadow went past her, directly flying towards the Fire Emperor.
"You fool, just that bit of a fire and you think you can destroy me?" Xu Que curled his lips in a sneer. "Go to hell!"
Boom! Another loud sound was heard, the Dark Heavy Buster Sword he was holding had multiplied itself into countless shadows that spread over the sky and earth.
He made a leap and executed the Flame Devouring Wave. All the shadows gradually became one, forming a terrifying blast that went directly towards the Fire Emperor.
Boooommm!
In an instant, the flames on the Fire Emperor were split open. Even his body had been split open!
But then Xu Que noticed something amiss, spat a loud "fuck!" and turned into a trail of willow leaves, disappearing on the spot.
Swoosh!
Just as Xu Que disappeared, the Fire Emperor who had been split in half started to merge at that instant as well, and with overwhelming flames, he pierced through the exact spot where Xu Que had been standing a moment earlier!
The Water Empress stared at the scene with large eyes. This fellow … when did you steal my Sky Incense Valley's Dark Willow Limbo skill?
But she was also relieved that Xu Que had escaped the Fire Emperor's fatal blow, for there was no longer any danger.
This was because the Fire Emperor… had reached his limit!
The Fire Emperor was stagnant in the air, stiff and pale.
The flames on his body were slowly swallowing him. Endless pain enveloped him.
He knew very well that the fatal blow he had used on Xu Que, which had missed—had been made in exchange for his life. He had no other means left to deal with Xu Que. He was doomed for death either way.
He had not expected Xu Que to be able to escape his fatal blow by using Sky Incense Valley's ultimate escape skill—Dark Willow Limbo. The failure of his fatal blow had meant he had completely failed to kill Xu Que!
Swoosh!
Just then, a voice was heard behind him.
The Fire Emperor looked slightly terrified. This was his resentment and fear just before his imminent death.
He was familiar with the sword's ferocity and aura. It was the Killer God's Single Stroke!
At present, only one person could execute the move—Xu Que!
"No, Xu Que, stop!"
Almost at the same time, a cry was heard from afar.
It was the Flaming Sun Princess and Zi Xuan who had rushed over and seen the scene.
However, Xu Que did not stop or change his attack. His eyes were cold and without any hesitation, he executed Killer God's Single Stroke to the fullest.
Swish! A sound slicing through the air was heard, with a bright gleam of light emitting from the blade. It instantly cut the Fire Emperor through the throat!
A sword seized the soul; a sword took away a life!
Even a Level Eight Infant Transformation Stage cultivator had died from that stroke, let alone the Fire Emperor, who was going to die anyway!
Xu Que had wanted to personally end this enemy's life so that the resentment and anger deep within his soul could rest and dissipate!
Of course, the most important thing was the blood of the Ji family within the Fire Emperor!
"System, extract his blood, don't be found out!" Xu Que instructed.
The system was able to extract the blood of the Fire Emperor without anyone knowing. It was only too easy for the system. However, Xu Que had also been extorted by the system in that he had been made to pay 100 Acting Tough Points before it would perform the job.
Xu Que was not that heartbroken over the 100 Acting Tough Points to obtain the blood of the Ji Family. He looked on coldly as the body of the Fire Emperor fell.
Boom!
The Fire Emperor, whose life had been ended, was unable to control the fire on his body and was now completely engulfed in flames. His body was like the setting sun, and fell straight towards the Imperial Palace!
…
Chapter 267: Fate Will Bring Us Together Again!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Father!" the Flaming Sun Princess cried out with tears streaming down her face. She tried to rush over to her father the Fire Emperor, but she was too far away to make it in time.
And so, she stood there helplessly watching the Fire Emperor's body, completely engulfed by the roaring flames, as it fell heavily down to the Golden Temple.
....
Boom!
The Fire Emperor's body suddenly exploded, and the fire of the Flaming Dragon surged out in all directions, creating waves upon waves of scorching fire. The whole Imperial Palace then turned into an infernal sea of flames. No one dared to approach the palace, much less enter to put out the fire.
The Flaming Sun Princess stood in mid-air, motionless and despairing, her face drained of all color.
....
Everyone else there had fallen silent as well. They were all stunned and at a loss as to how they should be responding. Their faces were heavy with solemnity and their eyes, full of respect and awe, were locked on Xu Que.
They realized that it was this young man who had awakened them from the Fire Emperor's grips and saved their lives. It was also this young man who had killed the Fire Emperor with his own hands!
A majestic and powerful dynasty had now fallen into ruins—thanks to this young man!
Ding! "Congratulations host 'Xu Que' for defeating a high-level Infant Transformation Stage opponent. The reward is 2 million experience points!"
Ding! "Congratulations host 'Xu Que' for successfully acting tough. The reward is 180 Acting Tough Points!"
"Ding! Congratulations host 'Xu Que' for successfully acting tough. The reward is 210 Acting Tough Points!"
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
A long series of system messages popped up and rang in Xu Que's mind, until the very last one was revealed—it was the biggest reward among all the others!
Ding! "Congratulations host 'Xu Que' for acting righteously tough in the name of justice and completing new achievement! The reward is 800 Acting Tough Points!"
In a matter of seconds, Xu Que's Acting Tough Points skyrocketed! He checked the total number of Acting Tough Points on the interface screen and discovered that in the blink of an eye, he'd accumulated more than 8,000 Acting Tough Points!
But of course, if you take into account the 8,000 Acting Tough Points that he still owed the system, then he was in fact still very poor—but who cared?
...…
At the same moment, the Imperial Palace was already ablaze with fire. The corpse of the Fire Emperor had long been swallowed up by the flames, so not even his ashes were left by then. Then, the Golden Temple began to creak and whistle in the fire—it was going to collapse!
"Princess!" Zi Xuan called out with a soft voice as she dropped back to the ground and followed the Flaming Sun Princess.
The princess slowly turned her face towards Zi Xuan, yet her face was a stony mask without a thread of emotion in it. She would have seemed cold and unfeeling then, if it weren't for those eyes brimming with grief and sorrow.
She stared blankly at Zi Xuan for a while, then burst unexpectedly into maniacal laughter.
"I guess you can run away from misfortunes caused by the act of God, but never from the mistakes of your own doing!" she yelled. "Xu Que! Whatever my family owed you was all paid today! You've definitely won!"
The moment she finished her sentence, the dignified princess transformed into a white shadow and rushed straight into the Golden Temple, which by then was nothing more than a sea of flames.
"Princess, no!"
Zi Xuan cried out for the princess at the top of her voice, but it was too late—she couldn't stop her in time. All she could do now was watch helplessly as the princess was swallowed up by the terrifying Flaming Dragon, and vanished completely from sight.
Boom! Crash!
The Golden Temple had now been completely reduced to ashes. Even the vast Imperial Palace had now been annihilated by the fire, bringing down the once powerful family of the imperial dynasty with it, which had now also been burned to ashes by the flames!
Xu Que closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He could sense that the aura of the Flaming Sun Princess had now been completely extinguished.
That calmed his mind. He was glad and relieved now. Although he had once been in an intimate relationship with the princess, she and her father had always done everything she could to bring him harm.
Therefore, he couldn't pretend to have mercy on these people!
Perhaps the Flaming Sun Princess had known that Xu Que would never let her off lightly, so she had chosen to commit suicide rather than die by the hands of Xu Que!
Well, it was all over then. Xu Que would no longer have to worry about the Fire Emperor and his daughter.
Meanwhile, the sight of the Flaming Sun Princess taking her own life had moved a considerable portion of people in the crowd to tears. Zi Xuan herself had collapsed to the ground weeping in grief for the dead princess.
...
After a long while, the crowd dispersed, leaving only a few people still lingering around the area. It was a strange feeling, seeing the grounds where the imperial palace once stood so proudly, now transformed into ashen wasteland.
Then, the Water Empress let out a sigh and turned to Xu Que.
"Now that you've exacted revenge on those who have wronged you," she said to him, "what do you plan to do next? Would you follow me back to Sky Incense Valley?"
Xu Que considered it in silence for a while, then smiled and shook his head.
"A man's dream was to travel the whole world," he said, "and for that I need the world to be a peaceful place. Therefore I plan to go out there and save the world!"
"But if you go back to Sky Incense Valley with me," the Empress began, trying to convince him, "you will no doubt reach the Infant Transformations Stage within a few years with your qualifications. You could easily become the youngest Infant Transformation Stage warrior in all five countries!"
"No," replied Xu Que. then shook his head and began to tell the Water Empress a half-truth he had just come up with. "I'm a wanderer by nature. I can't stay in one place for too long! I'm not suitable for a place like Sky Incense Valley, I'm like the wind that gets blown to a different place everyday and must never stay still!"
Well, at least that was better than telling the Empress of his plan to dig the dragon veins! He might somehow end up in the Water Nation after digging the dragon veins someday—wouldn't she suspect him then if he told her what he was up to now? No, it would be wisest for him to keep it a secret for now. Besides, what he had told the Empress was partly true anyway. He couldn't stay in one place for too long as it would have a big effect on his Acting Tough Points.
With Xu Que's current reputation, not only would everyone in the imperial city recognize him, but at this point he might be renowned throughout the entire Fire Country! And who knew, perhaps his fame would even spread around the five countries after a while.
This kind of situation wasn't particularly suitable for the King of Acting Tough like Xu Que, so he had to always wander to different places all the time anyway.
Besides, Sky Incense Valley was just too small. He had no desire to stay there at all, although he was enthusiastic about visiting the other countries.
As for the state of the realm, Xu Que was no longer worried about anything, as the Fire Emperor's death had earned him two million experience points!
Xu Que had just risen to the eighth level of Original Infant Stage, so these points had certainly made it possible for him to take a soaring leap and move much closer to the ninth level of Original Infant Stage!
With this boost, the Infant Transformation Stage was no longer all that far away anymore!
"We'll meet again, my lady," said Xu Que. "It's what the wise men called 'fate'—this shall lead us to cross our paths again someday. But I must bid you farewell for now."
After acting tough in front of the Empress by turning down her invitation, it was time for Xu Que to say goodbye to her.
It was an elementary technique in seduction – you'd refuse them to leave them wanting more!
Xu Que had miscalculated this step though, as the Empress had not taken the bait and said nothing more to persuade him to follow her. Instead, she just nodded and smiled.
"You're right," she said. "Fate will bring us back together again. I hope that by the next time we meet you would have changed your mind about joining Sky Incense Valley!"
"We'll… see about that. Goodbye, my lady!" Xu Que turned around smoothly, then took off into the distance at a lightning speed, disappearing into the distance in the sky.
The Empress stared at the shadow of Xu Que drifting away as a mixture of emotions began to stir up inside her. What a fascinating man he'd turned out to be—and he had come and gone just like the wind!
She remembered the first time they had met at the Sky Incense Valley Tower. He was like a stinky tofu that smelled horrible yet tasted bizarrely delicious when eaten. That mighty spiritual power, the way he said 'my lady' every time he addressed her, that enigmatic smile playing at the corner of his lips, that earth-shattering talent, that rejection after he'd exacted his revenge, that wish to travel the world and to save the world….
Oh! It was just too much for her to handle!
The Empress then began to sink deep into her own thoughts as she watched Xu Que's figure gradually vanish from view. She sighed gently as if in relief, then a faint smile began to crop up in the corner of her lips.
"Yes, my friend," she murmured, "Fate will bring us together again."
....
Chapter 268: Genesis Fire Herbs
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Xu Que left the Imperial City without any qualms.
Acting tough required a magnanimous and unrestrained heart, whether it was towards the Flaming Sun Princess or the Water Empress.
Xu Que landed on the shore of the Great Lake not long after. He changed into a set of clothes and covered his face. When no one was around to notice, he emerged from his hidden position.
Initially, the fastest way to the Imperial Tombs had been through the teleportation device. But now that the palace was burning, the teleportation device in there was definitely gone by now. Xu Que had to enter the tombs through the passageway from the Great Lake, which was the safest as well as the next fastest possible route.
When he passed by the mansion located in the middle of the lake, he paused for a while.
After pondering for a moment, he sneaked into the mansion.
A beautiful female figure was standing by the railing, looking into the horizon and was muttering to themselves.
She was looking towards the palace where the fire was. "I feel like we both have known each other for years, even though we only just met recently! Master Li … where are you now? Will you … visit me again?"
The life and death of the Fire Emperor…the survival of the Fire Nation…
Madam Ya had never cared about that.
All along during her twenty years of pathetic life since birth, she had only been seeking solace, from poetry and songs by liaising with talented scholars and women alike.
That is, until the appearance of the extremely talented Li Bai. Suddenly, Madam Ya no longer felt like a walking corpse. However, the joy was only momentary and the yearning was long-lasting …
That man…
Where is he?
Do you miss me like I miss you?
Alas!
Seeing Madam Ya's melancholy appearance, Xu Que couldn't help feeling sad as well.
It was a most pitiful sight, this beauty who sighed and yearned for her lover.
Xu Que could not show himself, as he knew very well that he did not belong here. He was unable to give her anything more. So he quietly walked to Madam Ya's bedroom, looking at the neatly displayed set of papers, ink slab and brushes. He picked up a large writing brush made of weasel's hair and left her a sentence: A good friend from afar brings a distant land near.
After leaving the note, Xu Que quietly left.
Xu Que concealed himself and flew to the sky, looking over the entire city. Using the energy from his dantian, he made an announcement to the whole of Imperial City. He used a majestic tone of voice and warned, "the Exploding Heavens Faction has an order! If anyone dares to disrespect Madam Ya, the 108 heroes in the Exploding Heavens Faction will never let thee off, and guarantee that thou shalt have an end that is worse than the Fire Emperor!"
After that, Xu Que flicked his sleeves and darted straight into the entrance of the tombs.
Easy come, easy go, a romantic prodigal needed to have such act tough qualities!
Of course, what he said was to protect Madam Ya.
Now that the Fire Emperor was dead, the Imperial City would undergo a period of chaos. The Ji family still had several lords who were located far away from the Imperial City, but still within the Fire Nation. Once they received word that the current Fire Emperor had passed away, they would lead their armies into the city and fight for the throne!
Xu Que deliberately left a malicious warning so as to deter the people from harming Madam Ya.
When Madam Ya heard that loud announcement, she quickly regained her senses and looked up to the sky. However, she could only hear the voice, there was nobody in sight.
"Master Li! Master Li …"
She searched for him frantically around her mansion and found in her bedroom, on her study table, a sentence written on a piece of good quality paper: A good friend from afar brings a distant land near.
"A distant land near? Master Li … you … your heart will always be with me, right? Rest assured, you'll be the only man in my life, I'll wait … wait for you to come back one day …"
Looking at the poem, Madam Ya was in tears—but her heart was extremely satisfied.
…
Once again, Xu Que strolled leisurely along the tunnel that the old beggar had dug. He was feeling relaxed and refreshed!
Then, he executed Lightning Haste and in less than four hours, he had returned to the tombs.
He went along the path without deviation and headed straight to the master tomb.
He saw that the soul of Kim Fatty and all the others were still in deep cultivation.
Xu Que gave a frown and thought for a moment. Maybe it would be better not to take them away.
In any case, these few fellas could continue to stay here and if he ever needed to come back again, he could get them to run errands for him.
Leaving the master tomb, Xu Que hurried to the Dragon Veins deep in the tombs.
Finally, he arrived and at the edge of the lava pool, he pulled out the blood of the Fire Emperor and the tears of Madam Ya.
Boom!
The ground instantly shook up just as he took out the blood and tears.
The whole lava pool started to bubble and move vigorously as if the lava was boiling. And there seemed to be something that was moving upwards!
Xu Que squinted his eyes, his arms crossed in front of his chest, and calmly waited on the edge of the pool!
Splosh!
Suddenly, a golden dragon was spotted rising from the lava. Xu Que saw a dragon's head—but it was in reality only a bright, golden statue of the dragon's head that exuded a flaming halo. It felt like a living creature.
However, this was not really the Dragon Veins, but the most crucial essence of the Dragon Veins.
"Eh? That's … the Genesis Fire Herbs?"
Xu Que stared wide-eyed at the dragon head statue where a small flame was located right above the head.
To put it more accurately, it was not only a flame—its form was constantly changing.
Sometimes it looked like a weak, small flame from a candle that could be extinguished at any moment.
At other times it had the shape of a herb, with leaves composed of flames. That change was truly strange to see.
Ding! "The Genesis Fire Herb was detected. Do you want to pick the herb and preserve it for 500 Acting Tough Points?" the system notification rang.
By now, Xu Que was indignant about the profiteering side of the system. Moreover, he knew about the properties of the herb, that it was the essence of the entire Dragon Veins and was much stronger than the lava pool.
If one were to pick the herb just like that, they would die instantly without the Dragon Veins feeding it.
Therefore when the system wanted to deduct 500 Acting Tough Points, Xu Que thought it was worth the price!
"Alright, just 500 Acting Tough Points is not a big deal to me, hurry pick it and go!" Xu Que replied to the system with a wave of his hand. He couldn't even be bothered to bargain.
After all, the system would pick, preserve and ensure its safety. Such a complete service covering these three aspects was uncommon nowadays!
Swish!
The system immediately flashed a light beam towards the top of the golden dragon head statue. Shining upon the Genesis Fire Herb, it formed a protective circle around it and proceeded to uproot it!
Ding! "500 Acting Tough Points have been successfully deducted. The Genesis Fire Herb has been picked successfully!"
System notifications rang again at the same time as the uprooting of the herb.
When Xu Que was about to leave, the golden dragon head statue started to form cracks.
Crack!
The crisp falling apart sound was very loud in the spacious tunnel.
Xu Que was startled by it. So many cracks continued to form in the dragon head statue that they soon covered its entire surface!
In the next moment, after another ominous crack sound, the dragon statue was blown into pieces, the pieces of stone falling into the pool of lava!
Boom!
The whole lava pool started to 'boil' again and this time, it shook even more violently than earlier. The large lava pool suddenly flowed deep into the depths of the earth, and it didn't come back again.
Glomp!
Finally, in the blink of an eyelid, the lava pool that was like the ocean completely dried up!
The whole lava pool had turned into a giant, depleted pit!
Xu Que was happy, for this essentially meant that the entire Dragon Veins of the Fire Nation had been completely destroyed.
Smiling, he was prepared to leave when his eyes caught something at the bottom of the depleted lava pool. Xu Que was stunned.
"Wait, there's something … underneath!"
…
…
Chapter 269: The Transformed Fire Country
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The bottom of the magma pool had been exposed when the magma inside had dried up. The sight made Xu Que's hair stand on end as he stared at it suspiciously.
The bottom of the pool had been densely engraved with countless ancient runes, each one rich in Dao wisdom.
"Whoa, system! Come out and see what I've discovered! Isn't it great?" As a One-Star Amulet Maker, Xu Que naturally could recognize each of these runes.
The system was silent for a moment before responding.
Ding! "After some testing, these runes were found to be ancient spell runes. Confirm the use of 1000 Acting Tough Points to copy the engraving?"
"What? What's the use of copying these patterns?"
"These patterns are teleportation spell runes, they work just as well as a teleportation spell without the need to use a Spirit Stone. They can be activated any time, and are effective through the air…"
After listening to the system's explanations, Xu Que was finally able to grasp the significance of his discovery. Apparently, these runes roughly had the same function as the Group word from the Nine Secrets.
The Group word was a type of specialized spell from Zhe Tian, created by Ling Bao Deity. As long as these runes were engraved, teleportation across the air would be possible anytime.
But of course, the runes Xu Que had discovered were not as powerful as the Group word of the Nine Secrets, as there were so many runes engraved that they covered the entire surface of the magma pool. It would've required a whole day and night to complete.
Still, these were much more effective that the teleportation spells out there, as these at least did not require the Spirit Stone and there was no need to build an altar in order to teleport.
To put it simply, once Xu Que copied down these runes, he would then be able to tear through the air and teleport to any part of the continent whenever he chose, as long as he took the time to engrave the massive number of runes. This was as close as he could get to the power of the Group secret word, at least for now.
"Do I need to spend as much as 1000 Acting Tough Points to copy them?" Xu Que asked the system.
"Yes," answered the system tersely. "Confirm copying?"
"To hell with it, yes!" Xu Que answered after a long sigh. He knew it was necessary to copy the runes, although he was reluctant to part with 1000 of his Acting Tough Points!
But there was nothing Xu Que could do to argue against the system, so he had no choice but to sacrifice the hefty 1000 act tough points in exchange for this complex spell.
"Ding! 1000 Acting Tough Points spent. Runes successfully copied. Do you wish to activate the spell now?" asked the system.
At the same time, a huge amount of information flooded into Xu Que's head. Runes flowed into his mind like a river until they became deeply engraved into his memory.
"Will this spell bring me to another country?" Xu Que asked with his eyebrows raised. "It's time to go find the other Dragon Veins!"
"According to the Cultivation Stage of the host, this spell is able to teleport the host to anywhere within the five countries."
"Really?" exclaimed Xu Que in shock.
Surely that must mean that the further his Cultivation Stage advanced, the further this spell could teleport him!
Ah, in that case, the lost 1000 Acting Tough Points had been completely worth it!
Just like that, Xu Que suddenly got excited— wouldn't this also imply that once he reached a certain level of strength, this spell would be able to teleport him through the dimension and take him back home to earth?
"Ha, come on then! Let's see what this teleportation spell can do!" Xu Que shouted at the system. He then hopped onto the bottom of the magma pool and stepped onto the runes.
The system then issued him a warning.
"The host must complete the rune pattern before the spell can be activated."
Xu Que bent down his head and discovered that there was indeed a missing part in the rune pattern. It was the part where the destination was set. This meant that each time he wanted to use this spell, he must inscribe the destination in runes before activating the teleportation spell.
It was like using a search engine—you could only get results after typing in a query.
Xu Que then entered a calm state and knelt down on the floor of the magma pool. He then used his fingers to engrave a pattern of runes onto the blank part of the rock.
Chip! Chip! Chip!
The stone was chipped away as Xu Que was engraving it. Shortly after a complex pattern of runes emerged where there was a blank space on the stone.
Boom!
Shortly after, the entire magma pool rumbled and shook while the runes all lit up with brilliant white light, gradually increasing in intensity until the light became blinding.
The bottom of the magma pool was now entirely blanketed in a brilliant white light.
Xu Que could feel a strong sensation passing through his body. It rooted him to the spot and he felt a sharp pang of pain, as if he was being stabbed by countless small blades all over his body!
This force was much stronger than the one he had experienced in the other teleportation spell. This alarmed Xu Que very much, because even though he had practiced the God of Hell's Compulsion, his body still felt this much excruciating pain—this meant that this kind of teleportation wasn't just for anyone!
"Ahhh!"
The spell's force became more and more overwhelming. Xu Que could see the air and the dimension in front of him was slowly becoming warped and distorted, before it was finally torn apart!
The next thing Xu Que knew, he found himself swallowed up by a huge black void beyond the tear of the dimension!
Boom!
The bright white light had disappeared now, and the magma pool was quiet again…
But Xu Que had disappeared!
The next day, in the Imperial City of the Fire Country.
Several men who were of visibly high status were riding on handsome stallions and carrying fine swords, leading a massive troop of soldiers and cavalries into the Imperial City.
"Make way for the Prince of the Northern Province!"
"Make way for the Prince of the Southern Province!"
"Make way for the Prince of Ling Wei!"
...…
The announcement of the arrivals of these figures in the city had triggered waves of shocked gasps and whispers amongst the city dwellers. Everyone was stunned and distressed at what the presence of these people might mean. Rows and rows of people knelt to the ground as the princes passed by.
These were the royal princes of the Fire Country, and they were the royal brothers of the dead Fire Emperor!
Had they returned to claim the throne? Or had they come back to seek revenge for the Fire Emperor?
The people's hearts were thumping against their chests. No matter what reason these princes had come back for, it wouldn't be good news to them at all because the arrivals of these princes could only mean one thing—chaos.
To their surprise, though, these princes did not go straight to the Imperial Palace but rushed instead to the Great Lake, bringing with them cartloads of gifts to be sent to Madam Ya's mansion.
None of the city's dwellers could ever have expected this!
By sending gifts to Madam Ya, did it mean that the princes' stances on the Exploding Heavens Faction had softened? Could it be that the princes… no longer wanted to claim the throne?
Thus, in the short span of one night, the infamy of the Exploding Heavens Faction morphed into a reputation of respect, which spread throughout the major cities of the Fire Country and then to the four other countries!
All across the continent, young ambitious men did anything they could to find a way to join the faction!
Even the notes Xu Que had left at the Sky Incense Valley had been studied intensively by many scholars yet none of them could decipher the secret knowledge that it held.
From then on, a perplexing mystery riddled the Fire Country—"what in the world is QQ Group?"
...…
Meanwhile, Xu Que was still shrouded in utter darkness.
A day and a night had passed in the outside world, yet to him, it had only been the blink of an eye.
Notifications rang in his mind telling him that he'd earned more Acting Tough Points, although no explanation was given of how he had earned them.
Xu Que was already used to it by now, so he took no notice of it. Then, the weakening sensation he felt gradually subsided, and suddenly a small dot of light appeared in the pitch-black darkness in front of him. This spot of light grew larger and larger, until it soon engulfed his whole body!
Boom!
With noise reverberating in the background, Xu Que suddenly felt as if someone had pushed him from behind—then all sensation disappeared, and his whole body was hurled forward and he fell flat onto the ground.
And right in front of him was a clear blue sky, bright sunlight and green grass!
The teleportation spell had worked!
"Hey! Look out!" Xu Que heard someone shriek behind him.
He turned around and was flabbergasted by the sight in front of him—it was a peculiar retro-style 'car' speeding towards him. And on the carriage were two women wearing ancient-style clothes who were screaming at him in panic.
"Holy shit! This is ridiculous! Shouldn't I be in Fire Country? Where the fuck did they get the cars like the ones on earth?"
...
...
Chapter 270: Who's the Country Bumpkin
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Xu Que stood there bewildered and unmoving at the sight of the bizarre-looking vehicle that was coming straight in his direction.
The vehicle was too peculiar-looking. It had an exterior that was similar to the retro sedan on Earth, being draped in metal with four metallic wheels underneath.
However, gold was the metal that had been used to make the vehicle. It was a car made out of gold and when one looked carefully, it was completely covered in written inscriptions. A huge slab of spirit stone was the energy source for the car.
The principle of construction was similar to Xu Que's God Powered Cannon, whereby both creations required the use of spirit stones as their source of power.
However, judging from the looks of the vehicle, it did not seem to be fully automatic—it required the driver to control it through enchantments, just like how flying swords were controlled.
Nonetheless, just that alone was enough to astound Xu Que.
The five nations were rather far apart from each other. The Fire Nation and the Water Nation were considered relatively close. But the Metal Nation was separated from the Fire Nation by a huge boundary. If one did not use a teleportation device, one would need at least a six months' journey to reach the Metal Nation.
Therefore, Xu Que remembered nothing of the Metal Nation except its name.
Of course, Xu Que had also occasionally heard that cultivators in the Metal Nation were not focused on cultivating and liked to rely on objects. Even the Equipment Refiners were not doing what they should have been doing but instead invented and researched diabolic things, or engaged in wicked craft.
From what Xu Que had seen, the Metal Nation was perhaps the most scientifically conscious of the five nations. It was no wonder that Metal Nation was the biggest enemy of the Fire Nation!
"Young man, move away!"
The sudden screams of the women in the car were heard. They seemed to have difficulty braking the car and could only shout. The car was moving in such great speed, rushing towards Xu Que.
However, Xu Que was still engrossed in looking at the vehicle that he did not seem to have heard the screams of the women.
Bang!
A loud sound was heard, followed by the screams of the two women. The car had directly hit Xu Que!
But in reality, the scene of the accident was rather peaceful.
The strange car had stopped moving the moment it hit Xu Que, and he was not sent flying by the car and nor was he hurt. However, the front of the car had wrapped around his body—or rather, he had created a very deep dent.
Looking at the extent of the dent, the car would have to be sent for scrapping!
"Hmm, seems like the car only has a decent shape but without a brake system!" Xu Que shook his head, wearing disappointed expression.
The two women, however, were in a daze, and only reacted after a while.
One of them screamed and exited the car angrily. She stared at Xu Que in anger, "You … you need to compensate me for my divine chariot!"
"Divine chariot?"
Xu Que's eyes were wide opened and he nearly burst into laughter upon hearing that.
This lousy thing is called a divine chariot? he thought.
Xu Que shook his head. "Hey girl, can we please speak reasonably? Your car obviously hit me. Why should I be the one who compensate you? I wasn't even playing hooligan, yet you still want to extort me? If I don't agree, are you going to take out a watermelon knife and cut me up into several pieces? May I know if your dad is called Li Gang?"
The young woman became agitated. "You … you're the one who suddenly appeared out of nowhere! You made me forget the enchantment to stop my divine chariot, so that's how …"
"This lousy thing is controlled through inscriptions?" Xu Que young woman, his curiosity piquing.
Immediately, the young woman's attitude changed to one of great disdain upon hearing Xu Que's words. "Hmph, country bumpkin, you don't even recognize the divine chariot. I don't care, you crashed into my divine chariot, therefore you must compensate me!"
"Ha, so it's reasonable to hit people and then ask for compensation? All right then, take out your driver's license!"
"What driver's license?"
"Holy crap, driving without a license?" Xu Que raised his eyebrows. "According to the People's Republic of Exploding Heaven Nation Road Safety Law number 99 stipulates that driving without a license will land you a fine of between 200 spirit stones to 2000 spirit stones, along with 15 days in detention."
"You … you're trying to extort us?"
The young woman did not exactly understand what Xu Que was talking about. But upon hearing him mention the spirit stones and the fine amount, she had become infuriated.
"Didn't you want to play hooligan? Fine, this Act Tough King will play with you. Otherwise, female drivers like yourself will really treat the road like your own backyard."
After finishing his sentence, Xu Que took a few steps back and lay on the ground, crying out loud, "aiya, I'm hit! A female driver hit me, I'm dying, where is my justice!"
"You … you're spouting nonsense!" the young woman stammered in anger. She had never met such a shameless person. "You're obviously the one who hit us!"
"My legs are the so-called 'Divine Legs'," shouted Xu Que. "Look at my poor legs now after getting hit by your lousy car, if you don't compensate me tens of millions of spirit stones for my medical expenses, I won't let this matter rest."
"Country bumpkin!" said the young woman angrily. "My car is called the divine chariot, it isn't a lousy car! It's your bad luck that you got hit by the divine chariot, understand?"
"Who's the country bumpkin?" Xu Que was unhappy at what the young woman had said. He stood up from the ground, tidied his hairstyle and pointed at his own face menacingly. "Big sister, open your eyes big and wide and take a good look. Yes! This is a handsome face, you need to look carefully and notice the way I dress. You see, everywhere I go, people say that I'm suave, and flowers blossom when I pass by. You look young and pretty but how are you so blind? And as for your piece of crap car, I can easily get one that's way better than yours!"
"Piece of crap? You dare say that the divine chariot from our Spirit Treasures Pavilion is a piece of crap?"
The young woman stared at Xu Que in disbelief, as if she heard something unimaginable.
The other woman was not able to stand Xu Que's taunting. She exitedthe car and walked over. "Hmph, what an arrogant boy," she said with an icy tone. "Did you know that in the whole of the Metal Nation, at least half of our divine chariots are created by the Spirit Treasures Pavilion? The divine chariot that you smashed is the latest creation made by our Grand Elder, and it is called the Thousand Miles Chaser. You actually have the audacity to claim that you have stronger models than that?"
"Ha, Thousand Miles Chaser?" Xu Que laughed out loud, his face full of clear disdain. "What kind of lousy name is that? It's too low-level for my taste. It totally can't be compared to the quality of the divine chariots of Exploding Heaven divine chariot!"
"Exploding Heaven Faction?"
The two young women were puzzled at the mention of that.
Apparently, news of what had happened at the Imperial Palace in theFire Nation had not yet spread to the Metal Nation. Both young women had not heard of that name.
"I don't care where you're from," one of the young women spoke coldly "First you smashed my Divine Chariot, then you insult our Spirit Treasures Pavilion. You owe us an apology!"
"Correct! Our divine chariots from Spirit Treasures Pavilion are some of the best in Metal Nation," said the other young woman angrily. "You dare to speak with such impudence before us—you need to apologize or else!"
Xu Que squinted and sniggered, shaking his head. "You're both young but your tempers sure aren't mild! I'm just telling the truth that there really isn't anything great about your Spirit Treasures Pavilion. The divine chariots that are created by Exploding Heaven Faction are the real treasures. Uh uh, don't feel wronged. Let me ask the both of you—have you ever heard of Bao Ma and Mercedes Benz? Lamborghini, Bugatti, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati? See, you've never even heard of these and yet you've got the nerve to flaunt your Spirit Treasures Pavilion? Aren't you ashamed of yourselves?"
Both young women were baffled and confused by what Xu Que was saying. Indeed, they had never heard of any of those names … oh not really, there was one they had heard before—Bao Ma, which was Chinese for BMW.
Bao Ma in Chinese meant Precious Horse. In ancient times, the term Bao Ma was frequently used to describe good quality horses.
Both women wore contemptuous smiles. "Who's using a real horse nowadays?" she said. "We're all using divine chariots!"
"Ha, the Bao Ma I mentioned was not referring to an actual horse, but one type of divine chariots in Exploding Heaven Faction. Forget it, you won't understand anyway. The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean. I'll be merciful and let you two frogs know what constitutes a good divine chariot! Come out, my bikini… bleh! No, my Lamborghini!"
Xu Que called out the system interface and rented a Lamborghini sports car without hesitation.
Fortunately, the system store was reasonable in this aspect. Be it an excavator or any type of luxury car, vehicles could be rented at a uniform price of 500 Acting Tough Points for a one-day rental!
Xu Que did all this was totally because he wanted to act tough!
Damn ignorant fools! he thought. These people from Metal Nation have the gall to call their lousy cars 'divine chariots'? I'm laughing my ass off! And they dare call me a country bumpkin? If that's the case, I need you both to have a good look at what a real cool sports car is like!
Swish!
A bright white light flashed past, and a luxurious Lamborghini immediately appeared in front of the two women.
Both were instantly dumbfounded by that sight!
Clearly, the sleek and graceful shape of the sports car was enough to impress them instantly.
The curves of the car that could satisfy someone with just one look, the exquisite and fine coating of paint—just the appearance alone was enough to blow them away.
Their so-called divine chariot was nothing compared to the luxury car.
...
Chapter 271: Sit Tight! We're About to Roll!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Ding! "Congratulations to host 'Xu Que' for successfully acting tough. 120 Acting Tough Points rewarded!"
Xu Que was glad to see the notification as he had now regained a portion of the Acting Tough Points he had lost to the teleportation spell. He then turned to the two women and said, "what do you think of that? Aren't you completely mesmerized by such a beautiful chariot? I've got much better chariots than this within the Exploding Heavens Faction, you know!"
The expressions on the faces of the women altered slightly. Although they were indeed impressed by the car, they were careful not to show it in their expressions—after all, they were from the temple of the Ling Bao.
"So what if it looks great?" said one of the women coldly. "We've got the divine chariot of the Ling Bao Deity, all we need is a Spirit Stone and we can use it for ten days! In fact, it's incredibly convenient because there's no need to use Soul Strength. All we have to do is memorize a few runes and we can use it however we desire!"
"That's true," agreed the other girl. "We in the temple of Ling Bao Deity do not care for outward appearances. What's most important is convenience and practicality. Although what you have there does look good, it's simply useless. You don't even have a place to put the Spirit Stone!"
Xu Que was immensely amused by the women's words and laughed at them mockingly.
"Spirit Stone?" he jeered. "I'm sorry, but this divine chariot of mine has no need for such a primitive thing. All I need to do is to add a little gas and that's it. In fact, all I need to control it is my hands and feet, I don't even need to remember a single rune! Anyone can drive this chariot of mine—oh, but you do need a driver's license, of course."
"What? It doesn't need the Spirit Stone or the runes?" The two women were startled by Xu Que's outlandish claims. "That's preposterous! How would it work without the Spirit Stone? And did you say anyone could use it? Now that is simply impossible!"
"Oh, so you don't believe me, huh?" replied Xu Que. "Hop in, then! I'll show you what real driving skills look like!" As he spoke, Xu Que opened the car door with a smug grin on his face.
The moment the car door opened, the luxurious interior was revealed. It was very alluring and inviting to both girls, who stood there with their eyes wide open and their jaws almost hitting the ground.
This… this just looked too good to be real!
The two girls couldn't help but climb into the car as if in a trance. They couldn't believe how beautiful the interior of the 'chariot' was and couldn't stop staring as they sat there.
Ding! "Congratulations to host 'Xu Que' for successfully acting tough. 150 Acting Tough Points rewarded!"
And once again, Xu Que had managed to earn a small fortune again.
There was a slight curve in the corner of Xu Que's lips as he hopped into the driver's seat. He looked at the two girls behind him through the rear-view mirror.
"Fasten your seatbelts, ladies!" he said. "And get ready to have your mind blown! Sit tight! We're about to roll! Vroom… vroom!"
"Huh?"
The two women looked at each other in confusion, but before they could ask Xu Que what he had meant by 'fasten your seat belts', he had already started the engine and the car was beginning to move!
As an experienced driver, it was only natural that Xu Que didn't want his driving skills to be taken lightly. He deliberately spent 10 Acting Tough Points to increase his driving skills with the system's help.
Then, as soon as his foot stepped on the gas pedal, the engine roared and the car sped forward like an arrow!
"Ahh!"
The two girls shrieked in shock, although the speed that the car was moving at wasn't particularly scary to them. No, what truly shocked them was Xu Que's driving!
Because he knew that he'd been boosted by special driving skills from the system, Xu Que sped through the small lane without a care and rushed towards a tree at high speed. Just as the blood had drained completely from the two girls' faces in the backseat as they thought they were going to hit the tree, Xu Que suavely drifted the car with a handbrake turn which changed the direction the car was going abruptly.
The two girls knew nothing of seatbelts, so they were flailing and hurled around in the backseat. This was by far the bumpiest ride in their lives! Their faces had now turned deathly pale and they started to feel unwell… for those who had never sat in a modern car before, much less a sports car, Xu Que's driving was definitely mind blowing—no, more like stomach-churning!
If it had been their Ling Bao chariot, they would have had to exert laborious effort just to control it, and they would also need a huge amount of Soul Strength just to turn the direction slightly or bring it to a stop.
Moreover, if they had been driving Ling Bao Deity's chariot, they would have had to spend each second controlling the vehicle. That would become very taxing and demanding for the driver, and this meant that a high amount of Soul Strength was needed.
But there was one advantage to this, of course. Because of its difficulty, many priests used the driving of the Ling Bao chariot as practice to advance their own Soul Strength. That was why both common folks and priests kept themselves far out of the way the moment they saw a Ling Bao chariot on the road—because they knew that this might simply be Soul Strength practice!
And so the two girls normally drove their chariots on the road with pride and grace, with everyone eagerly making way for them wherever they went. Yet today, although they were riding in Xu Que's luxurious Lamborghini, all they felt right now was how much they wanted to throw up!
It was then that they believed Xu Que's boasts. Compared to this luxurious and powerful Lamborghini, their chariots seemed like old dogcarts! Oh, how they felt like two country bumpkins!
Xu Que noticed the girls' expressions and brought the car to a sudden halt.
"Are you alright?" he asked as he turned around. "Should I slow down a bit?"
The two were still in a daze and stared blankly at Xu Que for a while. When they finally came to their senses, they both nodded slowly in reply.
In all honesty, Xu Que wasn't all that concerned about them. He was just afraid that they might throw up.
Let's be real, this was a precious Lamborghini after all! Xu Que would never forgive them if they ever dared to vomit in this car!
What if the system acted up again and wanted to charge him for cleaning up the car? Who would fork out the Acting Tough Points then? The points he had earned from these two earlier wouldn't be enough to cover what he had lost previously!
No! He had to take very good care of this Lamborghini, because it would help him earn back innumerable Acting Tough Points for sure!
He would drive this car and take hot chicks for a ride, then earn point after point for acting super tough for it – what a worthy investment! Where else could he find such a good deal? This had to be the easiest tough-acting Xu Que had had to do ever since he'd received the system's help!
Still, after having put the two girls into shock, Xu Que no longer dared to show off any more of his driving skills. He just kept on driving slowly and carefully.
Meanwhile, the two girls slowly recovered and gained back their senses.
They now truly believed that this 'divine chariot' truly didn't need the Spirit Stone or Soul Strength. They had also noticed that Xu Que hadn't used any kind of rune at all—he had merely used his two hands and two feet to start the chariot moving, and this truly shocked both of them!
"You were right! This divine chariot of yours is simply extraordinary! We've never seen anything like it before!"
They realized they had to say something to please him, now that they'd both calmed down.
"Don't mention it," replied Xu Que with false modesty. "This is just one of the many varieties of chariot we've got in Exploding Heavens Faction." Another notification had rung in his mind now, and he'd received another hundred Acting Tough Points and was about to earn back all that he'd lost.
The two girls were still full of doubt though, because after all these years in Fire Country they'd never even heard a whiff of hearsay about this mysterious Exploding Heaven thing. Yet their first encounter with this faction had been with such an impressive object that was so superior to the chariots of Ling Bao Deity that they knew so well and were once so proud of.
After a moment of silence, one of the girls couldn't hold it in her questions any longer. "If I may be so bold, would you please tell me your name, sir?" she asked. "Would it be possible for your faction to consider cooperating with us from Ling Bao Temple?"
"I am Takumi Fujiwara of the Exploding Heavens Faction," answered Xu Que with a sly smile, "also known as the Speed Star of Mount Akina, nicknamed the Old Driver!"
...
...
Chapter 272: Don't Understand Human Language?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Mount Akina?
Which mountain is that?
Speed Star?
Old Driver?
The two women from Spirit Treasures Pavilion were perplexed.
All these terms were totally new to them.
And another strange thing was the name of the young man in front of them—his surname sounded so bizarre!
In Metal Nation, they had only heard of two-character surnames like Murong, Situ and Dugu family. They had never heard of a strange surname like Fujiwara!
"Young hero Fuijiwara, about cooperating…"
"Forget about cooperating, the Exploding Heavens Faction has always been committed to self-sufficiency. We have never required the help of foreign forces, nor have we ever needed their cooperation. To tell you the truth, Spirit Treasures Pavilion isn't qualified to cooperate with Exploding Heavens Faction. The two of you can forget about this type of quality high-end cooperation."
Xu Que wore a serious expression. Both girls subsequently feel that he was not a simple person and must have some background.
After hearing Xu Que's words and witnessing such high-end technology in the car, the women were full of curiosity and in awe of the Exploding Heavens Faction.
What kind of faction that could be so low-key and mysterious that nobody has ever heard of it, yet also possess such a high quality divine chariot! the young women thought.
"Young hero, would you ever reconsider?" the two young women asked cautiously again, not wanting to anger Xu Que.
They knew that if they could cooperate with such a mysterious force, they would be able to dominate the divine chariot market in the Metal Nation!
Xu Que rubbed his chin, expression solemn as if pondering. "Well… I can reconsider, but I do wonder if you would accept the unspoken rules?"
"Unspoken rules?" wondered the two girls. "Please forgive us for our ignorance. Young hero, may we know what unspoken rules you are referring to?"
"You don't know of the unspoken rules?" Xu Que shook his head and waved his hand dismissively, face was full of regret. "Just forget it, seems like neither of you are like me at all! We are taking different paths and we shall soon part ways!"
The two women were immediately flustered. "Young hero, if we have done something wrong, please forgive us and guide us so we can improve!"
"Well… we'll talk about it later!"
"Young hero, could you disclose some details?"
"No, this is something that has to be said in the future!"
"Young hero…"
"Stop, this is already my bottom line. We'll talk about it in future."
"That's … okay, young hero, what do you mean by future? When it will be?"
"Anytime!"
As Xu Que finished talking, he looked outside the car window, turning his head a 45 degree angle. Indeed, he thought, all problems in the world are due to issues with communication! Why are the people from Metal Nation unable to understand human language? I've already said they're the unspoken rules… if I put it explicitly, can they still be known as the unspoken rules?
The two young women were stunned and did not ask further. Their hearts were stirring with shock as well.
Young hero Fuijiwara is so young yet he is able to talk with the 'zen' way of mind, they thought. He said he'll talk about it in future yet it could be anytime. That means he is hinting to us that when the time is right, he will tell us!
However, both of them had misunderstood the words of the Old Driver, Xu Que. They were now immersed in subtle admiration!
Xu Que was looking out of the car window, continuing to act cool. The system notifications kept ringing in his head to signal the rewards he was obtaining for successfully acting tough. The Acting Tough Points kept increasing until all of a sudden, not only had he earned back his rental charges, but he had even earned extra Acting Tough Points!
Acting tough is just like a breeze to me! he thought.
As long as I earn more than I spend, my Acting Tough Points will be well spent!
Xu Que curled his lips upwards and he felt there was no need to spend any more time with the two young women. Since he now had the luxury sports car with him, he should go to a crowded place to flaunt and earn Acting Tough Points!
Moreover, his main motive for coming to Metal Nation was to go to the Imperial Tombs and obtain the Genesis Metal Herb so he could continue to create trouble—ah, incorrect, so he could save and liberate another nation!
"I wonder if the two of you ladies would know which way I should take to go to the Imperial Tombs?" Xu Que asked politely, looking at the two of them.
The two of them were startled, then looked as if they realized something. "Oh, young hero, you actually wanted to participate in the Trial of the Sword Catacomb?"
"Trial of Sword Catacomb? What's that?" Xu Que shook his head. "I only wanted to go to the Imperial Tombs for drag racing," he said. "I haven't heard anything about the Trial of the Sword Catacomb. I hope you two ladies will provide me more details on this."
"Young hero, you are too polite! The Trial of the Sword Catacomb is an event held every 100 years. If you have an innate talent for the Will of Sword, you'll be able to enter the Sword Catacomb and obtain a Sword Soul. If you use that to refine your Soul Strength, your Soul Strength will become greater and sharper!"
"Oh? There's actually such a thing?"
Xu Que's eyes flashed with interest and thought, Trial of the Sword Catacomb—it sure sounds like a holy land for cting tough.
What's more, the location is also near the Imperial Tombs of the Metal Nation, which means there is no conflict with my original destination. Making a trip to the Sword Catacomb seems totally worth it!
"Ah," one of the young women heaved a soft sigh. "Although the Trial of the Sword Catacomb has helped a lot of talented cultivators, this time the trial will be attempted by countless geniuses and elites. One of them is the Legendary Swordsman, Ye Chang Feng. We hear that he has such amazing talent and strength that he has never been defeated before."
When Xu Que heard the term 'Legendary Swordsman', he was immediately delighted!
It's the fucking Legendary Swordsman? Haha, it's a small world! After failing to act tough in Fire Nation, you still dare to come to Metal Nation to act tough! he thought.
He sniggered and shook his head. "Ladies, haven't you heard that the Legendary Swordsman, Ye Chang Feng, has been defeated in Fire Nation just recently?"
"Ah? What?"
"That's impossible?"
The two young women were stupefied.
Xu Que wore a faint smile on his face. "Seems like he didn't dare to spread this piece of news. In fact, I was there when it happened. He was defeated with a single stroke by Ye Liang Chen of my Exploding Heavens Faction. He was eventually carried away on a stretcher. You can ask around if you don't believe me."
"Exploding Heavens Faction, Ye Liang Chen?"
The two women were evidently astonished by the news.
Wow! This Exploding Heavens Faction … They actually had a genius that could defeat Ye Chang Feng! Could this really be true? both women wondered.
When they looked at Xu Que's expression, they felt that Xu Que did not seem like he had lied. Nevertheless, they had trouble believing this piece of information.
Xu Que didn't want to talk too much as well. After successfully acting tough and getting more Acting Tough Points, he decided to hurry to the Imperial City of the Metal Nation.
He looked towards the two women once again. "Will both of you young ladies enlighten me as to which direction I should take to get to the Imperial Tombs?" he asked elegantly, wearing a gentle smile.
"Young hero, you are too polite! We are already very close to the Imperial City of the Metal Nation, as well as the Imperial Tombs. You can go in this direction and reach your destination in just a few hours!" Both girls giggled and continued, "Young hero, we have been fated to meet here. In actual fact, we are sisters and we are also heading towards the Imperial Tombs to participate in the Trial of the Sword Catacomb. We didn't expect to meet you this way. It is really an interesting encounter that fate brought us."
Both young women chuckled in a rather coy way; their previously domineering arrogance was now nowhere to be found. At this moment, they were no longer looking down on Xu Que.
However, after Xu Que confirmed the direction he was travelling in, his face became blank and expressionless. "We are all cultivators who should be focusing on our cultivation," he said. "Fate is such an illusory thing, it's better if you don't believe in it! Alright, now that you have tried my divine chariot, please get off now. I, the Speed Star, am going to the Imperial Tombs to pick up girls."
Chapter 273: The Speed Star in Action
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The two Ling Bao girls watched incredulously as Xu Que abandoned them, and sped away in his Lamborghini with an arrogant look on his face.
What was the use of these girls to an Act Tough King anyway?
Would he be so sucked in by the looks of these two girls that he would abandon his goal of earning Acting Tough Points? No way! Absolutely not!
Just because they looked slightly better than most other girls didn't mean they had this Act Tough King wrapped around their fingers! The thought was just ridiculous!
Women these days! Acting so important just because they looked slightly pretty, as if the universe had to orbit around them just because of their good looks!
Ha! Xu Que found this type of girl most annoying! So what if they were beautiful? So what if they were hot chicks? Must the Act Tough King fall to your feet just because of that?
He, the Act Tough King, would never stand for it!
...
Xu Que then stepped on the gas pedal and headed straight towards the Imperial Tombs, leaving the two girls in the dust.
The two Ling Bao girls watched as the 'chariot' disappeared into the distance. They were both stunned into a daze and just stood there in disbelief before finally regaining their senses.
"That… that bastard!"
"I thought he was respectful and polite, but it was all fake! Hmph!"
They both gritted their teeth and stomped their feet petulantly.
Even if their status in the Ling Bao Temple wasn't taken into account, these two were still two of the best-looking girls in all of Metal Nation—in fact, they could be considered two of the top fifty most beautiful women in the kingdom! Hordes of admirers pursued them day in and day out, yet who would have thought that a day would come where this strange son of a bitch left them behind on a road?
First, he had crashed into their divine chariot but accused them of being the ones at fault. Then he had the gall to boast about his peculiar chariot from this Exploding Heavens nonsensical faction, and had even faked a sweet and gentle manner in front of them. Yet right after asking for the directions to the Imperial Tombs, he had just discarded them unceremoniously by the road and fled the scene.
What an unforgivably horrid person!
Both of them were dying to rush up to Xu Que and bite him to death, but they restrained themselves, knowing that they shouldn't mess around with his strength. They weren't fools—they had been able to sense the aura of a Level 9 Original Infant Stage earlier, which had shocked them so much that they had jumped out of the car!
"Forget about the bastard, let's hurry over to the Imperial Tombs ourselves. The elders from the temple will be arriving there soon, we'll just tell the elders about him and let them discuss the possibility of cooperation. I'm sure he won't dare to play around then."
"Yeah, that's all we can do for now. What's more important is the swordsmanship competition that's going to be held there. Noble families will be sending their best representatives over, I'm sure you'll be able to find a good handsome match today, sister!" The girl laughed.
"What are you talking about? Don't be silly…"
Although the two girls had been moody and angry just moments before, this sudden change of subject had brought excitement and joy back to their faces. They were soon walking jovially towards the Imperial Tombs without a care in the world.
...
...
A few hours later, Xu Que had reached the Imperial City. He noticed a huge boisterous crowd outside the area where he thought the Imperial Tombs should be. Strange-shaped chariots were seen parked along the road, yet all of them were offensively ugly.
The corners of Xu Que's lips curled up, and he stepped on the gas pedal and caused the engine to roar, attracting the attention of the sea of people there.
In the next moment, everyone's expressions changed as they stared in shock and awe at the Lamborghini.
"When… when did they make such an extraordinary chariot? I've never seen anything like it!"
"What a beauty! Look at that metal it's made out of! What kind of rare material is that?"
"What's even stranger is how I didn't even feel the slightest Soul Strength fluctuation from the chariot at all! What kind of power does it use? Rune power?"
"Amazing! Did the Ling Bao Temple create a new Ling Bao divine chariot?"
The people spoke among themselves in awe about what a wonderful chariot it was, until someone suddenly shouted in fear.
"Hold on, what's going on? Why is it still rushing towards us at that speed? Why hasn't he slowed the hell down yet?"
"This is a disaster! It must be because the driver doesn't have enough Soul Strength! Such a powerful chariot must be difficult to control!"
"No, no! It must be because his control of the runes is weak! Everyone, look out!"
"Come on, everyone, let's cast a spell to stop the chariot!"
...
All of a sudden, all the priests there started to cast a spell, each one emitting colorful magical auras that lit up the whole street like fireworks in the sky—all with one united purpose to stop the wildly speeding chariot!
This kind of situation had always happened from time to time. After all, there were many stupid young and rich people in the Metal Nation who liked to test out strange and powerful divine chariots despite not having nearly enough Soul Strength. They did this in the hopes of looking and acting tough, but in the end they would lose control of the runes and subsequently lose control of the chariots…
Therefore, everyone there regarded Xu Que's Lamborghini as a chariot that belonged to some noble family or other that was out of control.
And just as they expected, Xu Que's car continued to speed forward without a sign of slowing down at all!
"Damn, this kid is too weak."
"His control of the runes is so poor, yet he dares to drive such a powerful chariot! What a fool!"
"I think his Soul Strength is just too weak. If he even so much as bumps into me I'll send this bastard and his chariot flying, you just wait and see!"
"What a pity, though! It's such an exquisite chariot, yet soon it's going to turn into a pile of broken bits!"
"Ha! I'm sure his elders will give this boy an earful when he goes home this evening!"
...
By then, the whole crowd was shouting at the Lamborghini.
However, Xu Que had spent another ten Acting Tough Points to purchase a new driving skill, so he remained calm and confident.
Just as the priests who were closest to Xu Que's car were staring down at the car, bracing for the imminent impact, there was a sudden scream from the car!
Screeeech!
The car made a sharp turn just before it touched the magical light cast by the priests' spells. The tires shrieked as they dragged across the ground, leaving a perfect arc of skid marks in their trail as the car came to a sudden stop!
Everyone there watched in stunned silence!
The whole crowd was dumbstruck. They'd seen a chariot move this fast before and they knew how hard it was to control this kind of beast. Yet this chariot had made a sudden sharp turn just before it stopped, when it had been previously moving at full speed—this showed immense expertise in rune control!
None of them could believe what had just happened!
"That's… that's impossible!"
"Holy crap! That's crazy! How did he do it?"
"How did he stop the chariot in that short span of time?"
...
The crowd's chattering rang through the atmosphere, and those who had started to cast spells earlier hurriedly cancelled their spells in embarrassment. How stupid had they been? They'd mistaken a master, whose control over the runes was impeccable and whose Soul Strength was clearly top-notch, for a useless rich bastard! Moreover, they'd even idiotically cast defensive spells in front of the crowd! How shameful!
Swish!
Just then, Xu Que pushed open the car door.
All pairs of eyes were locked on the figure emerging from this extraordinary chariot.
Xu Que slowly brought out one foot in a swift, suave move, and planted it firmly onto the ground.
The crowd watched with bated breath.
Then, Xu Que stepped out fully, with his right hand holding a cigarette and his face arranged in a cool expression. His clothes swayed in the wind, tugged by a well-timed gust, as he puffed out a ring of smoke.
A series of notification rang up in his mind…
Ding! "Congratulations to host 'Xu Que' for successfully acting tough. 160 Acting Tough Points rewarded!"
Ding! "Congratulations to host 'Xu Que' for successfully acting super tough. 180 Acting Tough Points rewarded!"
...…