Chapter 132: Side Quest Part Two

Gao Ling City, Blue Wind Empire

Two days after the tomb selection and the disappearance of Dracule Mihawk, the restless city was back to normal. After the events of the tomb selection, a legendary swordsman was born. At first, the sects were shocked and on high alert when the swordsman has the capability of instantly knocked out forty plus high level cultivators from within the temple. The moment the sect masters regained their consciousness, their scared expression immediately issued an order which spread out throughout the whole empire.

Never offend the Great Swordsman

That was the order issued by all sects including the Burning Heaven Clan, Xiao Sect and Heavenly Sword Villa. Once more, the sects lost their foothold for a while when the swordsman he decimated almost a dozen high ranking elders before illuminating the entire sky which visible from the city two days ago. Everyone knew only one person capable of producing that powerful sword will. Once more, the sects again were again shocked by the disappearance of two dozen Sky Profound Realm and five late stage Emperor Profound Realm in the mountain regions.

To them, they believed those people are the highest of existence as even one Emperor Profound Realm cultivator was enough to submit the whole empire to its knee. Let alone five. The sects believed that those cultivators came from the sacred ground when they established their foothold almost a year ago and their involvement was indeed a secret. Because of them, the Heavenly Sword Villa was able to establish a higher foothold within the Empire. Probably related to the sacred ground where the villa is from.

Most of the them didn't want to get involved with their disappearance and they decided to keep quiet to avoid any unwanted attention. These are sacred ground cultivators. Even a low rank outer disciple is a superpower in the Empire.

The city was on high alert the whole time as the city lord issued an order to treat the swordsman with respect when he decided to come into the city again. The rest of the people felt fear creeping within the hearts as the low level sects offend him the other day. Most of them just scared he might exert his revenge on them but the city lord reassured them that the swordsman was never such a person. If he was, the sect masters would be reduced to smithereens the moment they offend him the other day.

However, it's a shame that the treasure and inheritance of the Moon Empress is now lost forever. Even the temple, statue and the teleportation formation disappeared as well. The people from within the temple are the lucky ones who managed to gaze upon the statue before it was mysteriously turned to dust.

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A lonely female figure suddenly arrived at the city after two days of continuous flight. She came to this city a few days ago as one of the contestant for the Tomb Selection and back then, she was a different person. Now, she arrived once more in the city as another person as her persona from back then was presumed dead within the tomb. The figure was a woman dressed in a blue robe coupled with a thin veil to cover her face. She was an alluring beauty sculptured perfectly as she makes her way towards the city's gateway. Now came as her real self, she decided to play cool as she makes her way to it.

Instead of returning back to her sect, she arrived here without announcing her arrival to the city. Sky Profound Realm can be considered a common thing in this city especially two days ago, the city was blessed with the arrivals of almost a hundred Sky Profound practitioner which rarely happens within a millennium. Sky Profound Realm practitioner can be considered the strongest existence within the Blue Wind Empire and people of the city was used by their presence.

The figure who walked the familiar streets of the city was none other than Chu Yueli, the beautiful fairy was also known as Li Yue from the selection two days ago. She flew countless of miles to arrived back to this city after landing in a remote kingdom to ask for direction. Now that she's an Emperor Profound Realm cultivator, it was easy for her to fly for days without stopping.

She made a mental note to find something to suppress her aura and the ring Mihawk gave her fits the bill. She searched within the ring something that she can use and she found a Profound Suppressing Bracelet in it. It is one of the high level items the Moon Empress had left behind. Unlike her sister's necklace, her bracelet is pretty much the same and it masked her aura back to her original cultivation before Little Fairy helped her, the sixth level of the Sky Profound Realm.

Her presence instantly gained the attention of the cultivators and people around her. Not because of her aura but because of her clothing and beautiful features. For years, Frozen Cloud Asgard never ventured outside of their territory and people rarely gaze upon them. There are sometimes rumors that the Seven Great Fairies travel the Empire for cultivation but none of them ever gaze the fairies directly. Furthermore, the sect was closed to allow their chosen disciples to train for the upcoming tournament and they are famous in rejecting any visitors tend to visit them. To have them out here in the open considered as a rare occasion. If this one is here, it means she is one of the high ranking members of the sect.

In the city, they are still treated with respect just like the Heavenly Sword Villa's elders as they are still holding the title of the strongest sect within the empire. Chu Yueli walked to the central part of the city before she was greeted by the soldiers who were informed of her arrival by the gateway guards. Just like her previous encounter, these men also glanced on her famous beauty before regained their composure. Asgardian disciples were quite famous with their beauty and most cities are used to their presence without causing a bit of a ruckus.

The soldiers bowed and cupped their hands before they spoke "Asgard fairy, we are the soldiers who patrol the city. We've been informed of your arrival and please forgive us for not being a proper guide."

She shook her head as she raised her delicate hands to object. "It is not necessary. I merely wished to see the city lord"

"Then, please come with us. We will prepare a carriage towards his manor."

Chu Yueli simply nodded before following the soldiers to the manor. Even if she knew the manor's location as she was here before but it's better for her to came as a guest.

......….

The city lord sat in his manor minding his own business as the city was back to the way it was before the tomb selection. He never felt better as the burden of greeting and hosting the selection back then was finally over. But, his mind sometimes drifted last two days ago. He couldn't not forget how the swordsman from back then instantly knocked out all the late stage Sky Profound Realm elders and sect masters. Not only them, even his own attendants weren't spared during the assault. It was mysterious. He felt some kind of thin shock wave passed him but before he even realized it, all them were instantly knocked out. All dozens of people inside that temple.

"What sort of technique he used to do such a thing?" He wondered as his attendants mentioned that they suddenly lost consciousness beside him. The only question is why didn't he passed out along with the others? Is it serve as a warning to him for offending him? The swordsman might be ruthless but he could destroy him along with those sect masters back then. But, he chose not to do so.

As he started to wonder, an attendant suddenly entered his room before standing beside him.

The city lord's focus was disturbed by his attendant's presence but if he was here then, it might be important. "What is it?"

"We have a guest." The attendant spoke with ease.

"I thought the tournament was over two days ago." The city lord replied. He had enough guest since two days ago and he wanted to lay down for now.

"No, this time she's someone from the outside."

"She?" He instantly widen his eyes as the only female guest was that black clothed woman from before. Why would a female guest entered his manor? The attendant nodded before he dropped the bomb on him. "Yes, she's Chu Yueli of the Frozen Cloud Asgard."

The city lord suddenly tumbled behind his desk as he shouted "Frozen Cloud…..Asgard?!? What are you waiting for? Bring her in!"

"She's already in the manor's courtyard." As the attendant spoke, the city lord instantly left him before making his way to the courtyard. This is the Frozen Cloud Asgard they are talking about. He treated all the sects with respect but this one is famous for being the strongest sect within the empire. For one of their high ranking members wishes to see him is really a rare occasion.

As he reached the courtyard, he was greeted by a beautiful sight as the veiled woman stood by the manor's fountain as she watches the flowing water within it. His heart skipped a beat as he remembered the rumors about the fairies being beautiful even flowers paled compared to them. To think that this beauty is willing to come and see him. It means her business with him must be very important. Her attention was interrupted the moment the city lord stood opposite of her and cupped his hands. "Fairy Chu Yueli, I am sorry for the delay. What might be the business for the fairy of the Asgard came to this manor?"

"Are you the city lord?" She asked him. The city lord cupped his hands and replied respectfully."Yes…"

Chu Yueli decided to get straight to the point as she was waiting for the answers to the question that has been on her mind. "Forgive my intrusion. Then, let me get to the chase. I was wondering if the city lord can tell me about a participant of your selection two days ago."

The city lord ponders for a moment. Participant? The Frozen Cloud Asgard wishes to know about someone. Judging from the rumors of their sect, it is impossible for them to recruit males into their cause. It means she's only here for one person that participate in the selection. The city lord regained his bearings and cupped his hands again. "No, it is alright. It is an honor to have such a fairy blessed me with her presence. I supposed you mean the lone fairy who participate in the selection?"

"Lone fairy?" Chu Yueli decided to play dumb because she was actually looking for Mihawk. If she said his name, the city lord might suspect something. She had to play her cards right when asking these type of questions. Moreover, the lone fairy the city lord was talking about was her all along.

"She's the only woman who entered the selection and the tomb of the Moon Empress." Then, with a solemn voice he continued "If you are looking for her, please forgive me. She lost her life inside the tomb as only one participant came out of it. If that happens, she was presumed dead and her body is probably inside the tomb. Never to be recovered."

"I…see… That's unfortunate." Chu Yueli spoke with an indifferent tone.

"She'll become a great addition to your sect if she was still alive. It's a shame indeed." The city lord spoke with pity and she decided to lay her next hand. "Then, you said only one participant made it out alive."

The city lord nodded his head and decided to relay the story to her. "Yes…. He's the only one who survived the assault from the eight elders within the tomb as well as the only survivor. He performed a spectacular performance back in the selection and escaped the pursuit of multiple sect two days ago."

"…." Chu Yueli gritted her teeth as she heard this story. It's true, he was pursued by all the sect masters but she herself run free. However, the city lord next story caused her eyes to widen.

"But, I was shocked two days ago because he knocked out all the pursuers within the temple before he escaped from the city."

"Knocked out?" She was instantly stumped. She never knew he had the ability to knocked out several cultivators at once. He never told her.

The city lord continued his story. "He used some kind of mysterious art that instantly knocked out people before they even realized it. He knocked out all the sect masters before destroying the temple itself. This one wondered how such things could happen."

"Where did he escaped to?"

"No one knows. He was still pursued by Sky Profound Realm elders but those men went missing in the mountains. I assumed they were killed by him."

"How could that happen?"

"The skies of the city were illuminated by a massive green flash of energy back then. Whatever technique he used to them, I assume it was too powerful for them to handle. Last time I heard was he escaped towards the mountain area west of the city."

"I see…. Thank you for your time, city lord." She cupped her hands before turning her back towards him.

However, the city lord did noticed she was kind of interested with the swordsman instead of the lone fairy who died two days ago. "If you don't mind me asking, you seemed interested in this swordsman."

She simply spoke without turning her head. "It is wise not to offend a person with great power. I am merely keeping caution as well as gathering information about the forces outside our sect."

Hearing her answer, the city lord nodded his head again. "This one understands. Let me escort you, fair lady."

"No, I require no such thing. Thank you for your hospitality, city lord." She cupped her hands before instantly shoot up towards the sky and heading towards the direction he mentioned. The city lord was puzzled why did such fairy wishes to acquire such information about that swordsman. He merely thought that this fairy wishes to ally with the swordsman instead as it was common for sects to formed alliance with a stronger powerhouse to prevent unwanted calamity in the future. It is also served as a medium or friendship between him and the sect.

"That swordsman is really lucky to have the friendship of a women's sect." The city lord spoke before he slowly made his way back to the manor without knowing the true reason Chu Yueli was here.

......…..

Chu Yueli flew towards the direction of the mountain area referred by the city lord. However, she couldn't help by noticing several ground cultivators was also heading to the same direction as her. Looks like Mihawk's direction was also followed by the cultivators from the city. She ignored their existence before making her way towards the direction.

As soon as she makes her way to the said direction, she was greeted by another mountain area but this one was one of its mountain side destroyed.

"It seems a great battle has occurred here." She spoke internally as she witnessed the destroyed part of the mountain. Whatever was launched into it caused some great damage to it. There are still traces of profound energy lingering in the air indicating that the battle was not a long time ago. Best she could guess was two days' top.

"Looks like Mihawk fend those enemies here before he disappeared." The direction led her to this mountain area and any more than that is a dead end. She flew towards the destroyed area to take a look. As she neared collapsed rocks, she was greeted by a pungent smell as if she smelled a rotting meat. She covered her nose with her arm before making her way towards the source of the smell. Beneath a collapse rock, she saw a rotting corpse underneath it. The face was ultimately destroyed while the other body parts was slowly decomposing. Even the spatial ring was still intact. It was two days old, it was enough to create this kind of smell.

She immediately recognized the crest on the corpse's body. It was the mark of the Heavenly Mighty Sword Region. She widens her eyes as Mihawk was not only pursued by the Empire's sects but the sacred ground as well. But when she extended her senses towards her surrounding, she found two more corpses but the other two wasn't badly destroyed as the last one. These two had similar injuries on the heart area as well as a broken blade was stabbed on the shoulder on one of them. She heard rumors from the city that five Emperor Profound Realms and dozens of late stage Sky Profound Realm disciples went missing in the mountain area. They didn't even return back from the mountain area after Mihawk had disappeared.

Suddenly, she felt pressures suddenly surround her. She knew this kind of feeling. It was the same when she defended her sect before.

"ROOAARR!!!!"

She turned around and saw a massive white masked snake like beast suddenly pounce on her. The masked snake suddenly emerged underneath the ground again before opening up its massive fangs. She immediately activated her snow steps before stepping away from it. Then, two more humanoid white masked beasts suddenly emerged as well before raising their massive hands towards her. She was on her senses the entire time. How come she didn't realize them?

Then, not only one but dozens of white masked beast suddenly came from all over the direction. She remembered the beasts cultivation was only Peak of True Profound Realm despite their sizes but for dozens of beast suddenly appeared in this area was not normal.

"These beasts. This is an empty mountain area. What are they doing here?" She spoke while continuously evading their attacks using her snow steps. Their cultivation might be the same as Peak True Profound Realm cultivators but they still have the advantage in size and numbers caught her off guard. She immediately activated her profound aura and she managed to freeze these beasts instantly with her Frozen Cloud Art. With a single wave of her hands, almost a dozen beast froze on the spot while the rest either took flight or back away.

Seeing some of them scattered, she immediately took flight to the sky to evade them and engage the flying beast in the air. Just like before, the flying beasts spared no effort in trying to eat her. Even though she managed to bring down almost all of them by freezing their bodies and letting them fall into the ground but what puzzles her was the beast didn't even pursue her. They just flew past her towards something on the ground.

They turned their heads towards the thing that she observed before, the dead bodies of the Sacred Ground disciples. The beasts instantly grabbed the bodies before tossing them into their mouth. Some of the beasts even started attacking each other as they were fighting to get the bodies. What she witnessed right now is the beasts started fighting each other for the dead cultivators' bodies. However, what she didn't realized is the snake that attacked her from before devoured the badly decomposed body from underneath the rocks. One by one, the white masked beasts fell in their own battles and only the strongest ones survived. The other two beasts devoured the two dead bodies from before as well.

Then, a shocking thing happened enough to caused her to feel massive amount of shock.

The beasts who devoured those bodies from before started to grow in size before she could react. She knew about these beasts but she didn't know how they could gain powers from devouring cultivators and assumed their cultivation but they have to go through several process before they could achieve such power.

The beasts grew in size until it was bigger than her entirely. Almost as tall as half the mountain. Then, black shrouds suddenly surrounded the beasts like plague as it covers them entirely. But, she noticed one thing when those phenomena happened.

"They are breaking through? Just from eating those bodies?" She spoke as she detected their cultivation suddenly entered the Spirit Profound Realm. It was slowly breaking through to the second and the third. The black shrouds suddenly towering her by a large margin before white arms suddenly formed on the side of the shroud. Not only that, massive white and pointy shoes like started to emerge from underneath it.

Then, a spike started to emerged from the top area of the shroud followed by a massive creepy white mask and spikes surrounded the neck area. In an instant it opened its massive eyes before showing her crimson red pupils underneath it. This is the first time she witnessed such a massive creature. Lastly, a massive hole suddenly formed on the middle part of its body. As the beast slowly formed itself, Chu Yueli was gawking underneath her veil.

"What in the divines am I witnessing?" Chu Yueli was speechless as she witnessed this new type of white masked beast in this region but she gained another important information. They consumed dead bodies or cultivators to elevate their powers. Then, those bodies she saw before was like a snack waiting to be devoured. No wonder those beasts are here. They probably detected the fight came from this place and wanted a piece of it.

This new type of beasts to her stood tall as high as the city's building before turning their red eyes towards her caused her to went up her guard. The beasts suddenly opened their mouth and massive amount of pressure suddenly felt by her.

"What now?" When she turned her eyes onto to the beasts, she saw a ball of red energy suddenly formed on its mouth. Judging from the pressure and the size of the energy ball, this can't be good. The process didn't even last five incense of time before the mouth of the closed entirely. The moment it opens….

SHOO!!!!

A massive red beam suddenly shot towards her and her instinct immediately forced her to evade.

BOOM!!!

An explosion sound was heard behind her as the massive beam landed on the mountain behind her. She turned around and witnessed the destruction of the mountain by a single red beam. She immediately turned back to them as she had to time to be impressed right about now. In an instant, the remaining two were also finished charging their own beam. The other two opened their creepy mouth before…..

SHOO!!!

SHOO!!!

Two similar massive beams were fired towards her as well. In an instant, she activated her snow steps to gained distance between her and those black shrouded beasts. If these beasts were to attack their sect, their barrier might not last long and who knows when they might be arriving there. Looks like she had a sense of duty to annihilate it. This might be the perfect time to test her new powers.

She noticed that she had been holding Tachikaze for a while and never drawn them even after she was teleported back into the outside world.

It's about time she draw the sword Mihawk prepared for her. She slowly unsheathes the blade from its scabbard as she witnesses the shape of her treasured blade. The sword had two different linings on it. On Tachikaze's top side was black while the one underneath it was silver. The sword however only had a single sharp edge on the silver part while the upper black part remained dull. On top of that, the sword was slightly curved upwards and it is much more different compared to other swords she held. Basically, Tachikaze is not a standard double edge sword, it is only a single edge and she had to get used using a different sword style.

"Mihawk... I promised to use this sword for a good cause." She can feel absolute sharpness came from the sword itself and it even drawn her attention to be this excited.

The beasts once more charged their beam attack but Chu Yueli instantly maximized her speed. In an instant, he arrived on top of the beast before landing her attack. Due to her lack of experience using such exquisite blade, she just landed a simple downward slash onto one of the towering beast.

Slash!!!!

"This is...….." She was shocked entirely as the blade simply cut the beast like a knife through butter as she entirely sliced the beast arm off. Not only it was sharp, it was also surprisingly light. Even lighter than her previous sword. It carried her will like a wind through the air as it slices the arm of the beast.

"Is this why he called it 'Severing Wind'?" She might not familiar with the name Tachikaze but the meaning of the name carries the true purpose of the sword in the hands. She instantly flew in the air once more before delivering a barrage of ice arrows to the remaining two shrouded beasts. Surprisingly, her arrows penetrated the beasts like caterpillar eating through a leaf. She sometimes forgets that her current strength is much stronger than the beast. She is a Peak Emperor Profound Realm cultivator after all.

Just like she predicted, it was the same as the smaller version of these beasts when she saw the long arm she slashed from before instantly repaired itself faster than her eyes could follow. The only way to kill these things is by shattering the mask of the beasts and her sect discovered it after losing several disciples to them. It was a lost cause but it was enough to turn the tide of the battle back then.

She teleported to the beast's head and spoke "If your weakness is the same as the other white mask beast then you should fall if I did this...." She swung Tachikaze horizontally releasing her Emperor Profound powers in a form of an ice slash towards the mask of the shrouded beast. What shocks her once more that despite the beast had massive size, the slashes traveled through its head and thus slicing the beast's upper part of its mask in one go at the same time freezing the other part of the mask.

The same as any other white masked beast, the sliced part of the beast's body slowly fell the ground at the same time disintegrating into the air. She stood up on the air at the same time gluing her eyes on the sword. She slowly spoke "This sword really is a treasure. To think that he gave me this kind of sword as a gift." At this rate, the other treasures in her ring were paled in comparison compared to this. Not to mention the sword is quite durable.

The remaining two beast remain standing before her. She suddenly turned her eyes towards her direction she came from. She detected cultivators were on their way here and she immediately frown. These things grew stronger the moment it consumed cultivators and she will never let it grow stronger. Even if after consuming a dead body from before, the cultivation of these beast was slowly rising. Now, both of them achieved seventh level of the Spirit Profound Ream. Any more than this, they will achieve higher states.

She immediately increases her speed through her snow steps. As her speed increased, she immediately murmured "Frozen Cloud Second Art, Ice Snowball" Just like her sister, she can also form an Ice snowball but it was instantly formed because of her empowered cultivation. She threw the massive snowball towards one of the shrouded beast before it exploded upon impact.

BOOM!!!

As the explosion occurred, the ice arrows from the snowball rain upon on the poor massive shrouded beasts. Although the damage was small, it bought her enough time to instantly arrived on top of one of the beast before she delivered the killing blow on top of its forehead. In an instant, the mask of the massive beast instantly shattered and it immediately disintegrate into the air. The remaining beast saw its disadvantage towards the lone female cultivator before forming a grabbing motion in the air. In an instant, the air suddenly cracks before slowly opened up a portal similar to those mysterious black portals suddenly spit out the white mask beast from before. She never had the chance to explore what is it like behind those black portals.

"You're not escaping from me." She instantly increased her speed once and she immediately sliced the arm of the massive beasts in an instant. The portal's formation was instantly halted before it could fully form and she use its massive body to catapult her body upwards at the same time stabbing her blade on it. She drags her blade while it was being stabbed before she pulls it out and landed a coup de grace on its mask.

SLASH!!!

In an instant, the mask of the shrouded beast instantly split into two before it could regenerate its sliced arm preventing it from fully opened the portal. As the last beast disintegrate into the air, Chu Yueli was shocked that her combat capabilities soars towards the skies in one single day. Combined with her training with her sister, she never knew the power of the Emperor Profound Realm was this powerful. She has to make sure to train with her sister later as she still can't control the output of her strength. One wrong move and she could easily take an innocent life carelessly. She even need to control Tachikaze's sword slash, she was also shocked as the blade was really sharp. Then, she remembered one of Mihawk's words back in the arena.

She slowly recite the words as she as she heard them.

"Without strength, a sword is nothing but an iron bar." Although the meaning is direct, she was sure the phrase had even much more profound meaning. Until she figure it out, she will continue to chant it. She slowly sheaths her sword back to its scabbard. Tachikaze was indeed powerful but she was far from mastering it. She had to start over as her new sword didn't match her previous mastered sword art.

As she witnessed upon the massive beast from before, she knew that it's because of her current strength that she could easily fend them off. If it were to Mihawk who had the capabilities to fend off even monarch level cultivators, he could destroy them with a single slash from that black sword. Even several Emperor Profound Realm disciples are a joke to him and the horned creature he fought before was at least stronger than them.

She assumed that the rest of the sacred ground disciples were vaporized by him but only three corpses remained intact. Speaking of them, Mihawk was doing her sect a favor by vaporizing those disciples. For months her sect was harassed by the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region as they possessed greater powers than her mother or sect master. Part of it because they heard the sect was filled with beautiful women. But due to the barrier of their sect as well as the emergence of white mask beasts, those disciples can't even breakthrough it.

She slowly flew above the skies once more before observing the mountain area. Looks like everything was in order and Mihawk probably disappeared somewhere. She slowly smiled knowing that he is safe somewhere before turning her head towards the direction of her sect. Looks like she had some explaining to do when she revealed her cultivation to her sister.

Speaking of her, it was time for her to enjoy her new life.

But, she's been missing for almost a week. How in the world she's going to tell this to her sister?