Imperial God Emperor

 Chapter 567 (2), The successor of the White Lotus Sword Sect 

“What the? It is the...” 

As the crowd was exclaiming and discussing spiritedly, Ye Qingyu also took on a look of shock.

He knew the man who had taken the stage and the sword.

It was Liu Shaji. 

The figure standing on the Storm Platform clasping the White Lotus Immortal sword in his hand was surprisingly the one who was always with him, Hu Bugui, Nan Tieyi and Old Fish, the unrestrained youngster who he hangs around with, Liu Shaji. 

The Liu Shaji at this time, standing on the Storm Platform with his thick, messy hair fluttering about in the absence of wind, his clothes flapping in the long wind, looked like a war god exhibiting a fierce imposing manner.  

“What’s going on with brother Liu?” 

Ye Qingyu twisted his head around to look at Hu Bugui and Nan Tieyi.

These two people at this time also had an expression of surprise and puzzlement. As they exchanged glances with Ye Qingyu, they gently shook their heads, indicating that they also did not expect such a thing to happen. 

Only Old Fish was holding a cup, leisurely and contently drinking tea, a carefree look on his face as though he had no interest in the matters of the outside world. 

“Could it be...” 

An epiphany flashed across Ye Qingyu's mind.

In his days with Liu Shaji, the impression he got from him was that he was a scholarly, hidden master with a hint of unruliness.

On the surface, although he looked like a wanderer who does not belong to any sect, but there are no martial artists that do not bear a burden. 

Ye Qingyu occasionally noticed the troubled and absent-minded look on his face, though he did not question further.

The day at the foot of the mountain when they began drinking and became friends due to similar thoughts and opinions, to the tea garden party when he ignored the other forces and sects and chose to stand beside him…

Every little aspect that happened these days with Liu Shaji, like a revolving lantern, rotated around Ye Qingyu's mind. 

Although it was only a few days, but he had already made his judgement about Liu Shaji. 

……

On the platform. 

The White Lotus Immortal sword was still erupting with a vibrant aura and light flames.

And clasping the Immortal sword, Liu Shaji wore a somewhat strange expression on his face.

The blast that erupted and spread from the Immortal sword billowed and fluttered Liu Shaji’s robe. The silver threaded white lotus embroidered on his robe was swaying gently in the wind, like white lotus flowers dancing on the riverside at the first glimmer of dawn. 

Liu Shaji’s expression was sorrowful, his sword-like brows slightly knitted together.

He lowered his head slightly, looking intently at the White Lotus Immortal sword in his hand. 

“Old fellow, have you been waiting for this day for a long time?” 

The interweaving emotions that spread out from his eyes were like vines, wrapping the White Lotus Immortal sword in layer upon layer. As if in a flash, he could see into the heart of the White Lotus Immortal sword.

Soon his eyes became somewhat empty, expression frozen, as if he had forgotten everything around him, sinking into memories of long ago.

For a while, the clouds flowed high and low, gentle wind murmuring in his ears, and in the distance the spiritual beasts and crane spirits were exchanging cries. Seemingly everything had separated from their time and space.

Suddenly as though he thought of something happy, an uncontrollable smile curved the corners of his mouth

What good memories was it that made him reveal such a cheerful smiling expression as he stood on the Storm Platform where battles of life and death took place.

The next moment, this smile was instantly turned into an insuppressible mournful expression.

The originally smiling and peaceful looking Liu Shaji suddenly looked sorrowful, as if he had recalled some earthshaking accident. His eyes and his forehead were full of sadness and tragicness.

“You are...”

Opposite, Liu Xuezong’s complexion finally calmed down, opening his mouth to ask.

But these two words were instead like a stone dropped at the door of a cave. Even if it only made a slight sound, it seemed like it had awakened a sleeping sword-tooth giant tiger. Liu Shaji's body slightly shook and then all the expressions disappeared from his face, slowly lifting his head.

When his head was completely lifted, his eyes suddenly turned into a flashing crimson light, and yuan qi and killing intent soared like raging flames.

At this moment he was like a dark messenger who had come out of Asura hell.

Opposite. 

Liu Xuezong was slightly taken aback for a moment, a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes. 

The young man before him was not weak at all, since he was able to snatch away the White Lotus Immortal sword from his hands and can unleash such a strong and bloody aura. His strength was absolutely no less than any of the successors of the Greater One Sect's eight peaks, but why was it that, in the list of outstanding new talents of Clear River Domain, there was no information on him?

Who the hell was he? 

What relationship does he have with the White Lotus Immortal sword?

What is his motive of standing on the Storm Pat this time? 

Liu Xuezong suddenly thought of something, his complexion eased a little.  

Looking at the White Lotus Immortal sword opposite, and then lifting his head to look at the youngster, Liu Xuezong slowly began to speak, “You mounted the Storm Platform, is there something you want to challenge? Why don't you return the White Lotus Immortal sword to Greater One Sect, before challenging your enemy.”

In his words, there was an imposing aura that one was unable to refuse.

But——

“Your immortal sword?” 

Liu Shaji's furious face instantly emerged with an unstoppable, strange ridiculing look. 

“Hahahaha, your Immortal sword?”

He seemed to have heard the best joke in the world. All of a sudden he could not hold back and bursted into laughter.

Deep and resounding laughter stirred the yuan qi. Sound waves, like cymbals striking one another, echoed across the Storm Platform

The solid boundary walls of the Storm Platform, because of this laughter, became like raging waves in a storm. It was too late to absorb the yuan qi that was being endlessly and violently released, leading to a lot of abnormal distortion and irregular changes to the boundary walls. 

Similar to a solid blast, there were waves rippling back and forth. 

In mid-air, the clouds and wind were all of a sudden changing. The layers of clouds that were constantly dispersing, were accumulating until bolts of thunder and lightning stretched out from the clouds. 

For a moment, strange scenes were frequently happening across the sky.  

This voice was like the wrath of a demon god, stirring the heavens and the earth, and containing a terrifying power that the relatively low-level martial artists around the Storm Platform looked as though were being crushed by a mountain, already frozen to the spot, dazed, face ghostly pale and aghast. While some of the headmasters and Immortal Step boundary experts could similarly feel the force, their expression was frozen, with puzzlement and horror in their eyes. 

……

In the distance. 

“Another interesting young man.” 

The Sky Demon Palace master stared at the changes of the Storm Platform, a deep and ruminative expression in his eyes.

Nangong Jue looked thoughtfully at the Storm Platform where the youngster with the berserk qi stood and the White Lotus Immoral sword in his hand, and then as though he suddenly remembered something, his eyes lit up and looked to the Storm Platform again. 

On the floating peak of the Heaven Devastator Demon Sect. 

Wearing a strange smiling mask, a hint of admiration flashed across the eyes of the master of the Heaven Devastator Demon Sect.

“Master, this man is not simple.” 

Wearing a mask with an extremely serious expression, the successor of the Heaven Devastator Demon Sect opened his mouth and spoke.

On the Heaven Desire Demon Sect's floating peak.  

The several leading young experts had developed a strong interest in Liu Shaji and Ye Qingyu, but the expression showing in their eyes was not the interest to make friends but an undisguised desire. Given the style of action of the Heaven Desire Demon Sect all along, then it was likely that the top experts that showed their strength in public today, after the Storm Sword Meeting, will become the ‘prey’ of the Heaven Desire Demon Sect.

On the Greater One Sect’s floating peak, the Greater One Spiritual Master and the several other headmasters were still sitting on the lotus seats as before. Their eyes seemed to reveal that they had remembered something, there was no longer the calm and collected expressions of before.

……

On the Storm Platform.

Liu Xuezong's complexion had slightly changed, and a sullen look flashed to his eyes.

Liu Shaji first snatched his sword, and then burst into mocking laughter. These were all enough to spark killing intent from Liu Xuezong. 

“Who the hell are you? How dare you cause trouble on the Storm Platform?” 

As one of the headmasters of the eight peaks of Greater One Sect, Liu Xuezong bellowed, yuan qi surging and his voice sounded like a sky demon burning a city, stirring in between heaven and earth and immediately interrupted Liu Shaji's laughter. 

As the host of the present Storm Sword Duel gathering, his dignity and the majestic presence must not be profane. With a piercing glare, as he was speaking, between his palms there were already ice flames flickering, icy coldness spreading, as though he was about to attack. 

Opposite. 

Liu Shaji's laughter suddenly faded. 

On his unrestrained face was another condescending sneer. 

“Just now, didn’t you ask who I want to challenge?” 

Liu Shaji gave a strange smile, drawing a horizontal white lotus light in the air with the White Lotus Immortal sword. 

The point of the sword directly pointed at Liu Xuezong opposite of him. 

“Listen carefully. The person I challenge is you.” 

He said each word loud and clear. 

The person I challenge is you! 

These six words were like boulders falling from the mountains, smashing the surroundings of the Storm Platform.

The people on the large floating peaks were shaking like a huge bell. 

After a strange silence and stillness, suddenly like boiling water or a pan of hot oil, a clamour broke out. 

“What? Did I hear it wrong?” 

“He unexpectedly... dares challenge the headmaster of the Snow Lotus Peak?” 

“Is this man out of his mind?” 

“Yes, even if his strength is extraordinary, but after all the age difference is there, to challenge the Snow Lotus Peak Master, a Immortal Step expert, I think he is overestimating himself.”

“Ever since he mounted the stage, he has been half crazy and half insane, talking nonsense, perhaps he had mistakenly entered the demonic way...”

On the Storm Platform. 

Liu Xuezong, upon hearing these words, was slightly surprised for a moment, then anger took over as he disdainfully asked, “Challenge me, who are you?”

Liu Shaji coldly snorted, a taunting expression on his face: “What? Are you afraid to accept my challenge?”

“Although the tradition of the Storm Platform has always been that anyone that mounts the stage can challenge anyone, but if anyone comes to challenge me, then I will be too busy.” The look of disdain on Liu Xuezong’s face was more obvious. He dusted his robe with his left finger, and his piercing gaze like two ice arrows shot at Liu Shaji. “Moreover, to rashly challenge an Immortal Step expert on the Storm Platform, you have to pay the price, why do you challenge me, you have to give the people an explanation, right?” 

With that, he slightly lifted his head, gently drawing across the void with his hand, seemingly inadvertently looking at the people around.

Liu Xuezong was the headmaster of a peak.

With just a few casual words, he easily brought the crowd to his side. 

These words immediately drew support from some of the little sects. 

“Exactly, you should give an explanation to the other sects.” 

“Yes, or you should tactfully hand over the White Lotus Immortal sword and get down the platform.”

“Exactly, give the White Lotus Immortal sword back to Greater One Sect and beg for mercy. Perhaps headmaster Liu will spare your life.” 

There was an uproar. 

Liu Shaji did not even glimpse at the people around. The raging red light in his eyes had not diminished in the slightest, and as though he had come out from a blazing fire, a warrior that rose from the ashes, he said each word loudly, “You want to find out my background by tactful indirect questioning? Oh, I could tell you, open up your eyes and look clearly at who I really am.” 

Before his voice faded. 

Liu Shaji slightly raised his wrist. 

Buzzing.

The White Lotus Immortal sword was slightly vibrating.  

Nine beams of cold light bloomed out of the void. 

It was an illusion created from the sword tip piercing the air at a tremendous speed.

He was reciting a mysterious and obscure formation incantation.

These nine cold stars continued for a long while and then combined together. Upon a closer look, it was a blossoming piercing cold white lotus flower flame. 

“The White Lotus colour is bright and clear, the silver sword tip is not old, destroying devil and the evil, one sword strike beheading a group of demons.” Liu Shaji had a solemn look on his face, reciting a short poem in a clear voice, the sword held horizontally across his chest, as he asked loudly, “White Lotus Sword Sect’s descendant Liu Shaji, am I qualified to challenge you? ”——