The Ninth Knight

The crowd erupted into an uproar. Xiao Chen had slain a buddha!

The golden-haired boy was no more than eleven or twelve, yet he could open the gates of reincarnation and seal the Fate Twins within the hells. His power was so terrifying that everyone had gasped in awe, believing him to be the future incarnation of a supreme god. Now, hearing that he was a Supreme Buddha, how could they not be shaken?

Blood dripped from the sky. The golden head hung limply in Xiao Chen's grasp. The boy's face was twisted with fury, his expression savage—as if he could not die with his eyes closed.

"You butcher! Executioner!" shouted two knights beside Zhao Lin'er, their voices thick with indignation.

Zhao Lin'er, the sacred maiden of the Sun Religion, only stared coldly at Xiao Chen, saying nothing.

"Cruel butcher!"

"He was only a child!"

Many of the young Sun Religion knights glared at Xiao Chen with icy contempt.

The knights' cries seemed infectious. Even some among the Great Shang nobles were stirred by the sight of Xiao Chen mercilessly holding that dripping head. A few aristocratic ladies whispered among themselves:

"Yes, he was just a child..."

"A child like a god..."

"A buddha, snuffed out..."

At that, Third Princess Yin Ying swept a cold glance over them, and the women immediately fell silent.

In that moment, the golden-haired boy's head in Xiao Chen's hand suddenly transformed. The human face twisted, shifting into a lion's head—ferocious and hideous. The overly sympathetic noblewomen, who had been murmuring just moments before, clamped their mouths shut.

The sacred maiden of the Sun Religion watched Xiao Chen coldly from the sky, then turned to Third Princess Yin Ying. "Though its origin is a Supreme Buddha," she said, "we had captured it. With proper taming, it would have become an invincible supreme god on the future battlefield. And you... alas."

"That was merely an incarnation," Third Princess Yin Ying replied, shaking her head. "Meeting the true body is like a flower in a mirror or the moon's reflection on water—an illusion, nothing real. Moreover, it might bring trouble and calamity."

"We have ways to tame it. Since we captured it, at the very least we could study its divine powers," Zhao Lin'er said, her tone turning cold as she fixed her gaze on Xiao Chen, then glanced back at the princess. "By killing it, you have invited trouble. No one can save the murderer. You can imagine the true body's strength. Once it senses the death of its incarnation, it will surely come seeking retribution."

The Third Princess waved her hand. The nine old men withdrew, no longer facing the six aged knights across from them. Today's events had driven Xiao Chen and Dugu Jianmo to act, which was unexpected for Yin Ying—a pleasant surprise. She had been wondering how to make them enter the fray.

"Who are you trying to scare?" Niu Ren called out from the sky, shaking his pair of massive ox horns. "That supposed supreme god or Supreme Buddha you mentioned—isn't it just that three-headed Golden Lion King? A mere yellow-maned lion, what's there to fear? Three years ago, the little white beast in the Southern Wastes made him run for his life, pissing and shitting himself. Now the little white beast is about to reappear. Does the yellow lion dare to come out? He'd better watch out, or he might get crippled this time."

Though the little fat man wildly exaggerated, it made people think. Yes—was the little white beast the natural bane of that Supreme Buddha? Strange how they always appeared in the same era.

Still, no one held much hope for Xiao Shishui. The Golden Lion King was hardly as pathetic as Niu Ren claimed. That was a heaven-defying sacred beast, capable of sweeping all other beast kings. Tracing its origin, it was a Supreme Buddha of almost unknown provenance. Even an incarnation in its infancy was this terrifying. How unimaginable its full power must be. And the little white beast belonged to Xiao Chen, not to Xiao Shishui. How could he withstand the Golden Lion King in the future?

"Sacred Maiden, permit me to fight!" A Sun Knight strode out from the crowd, his voice ringing out. "I will punish him!"

In the sky, Xiao Chen flung the lion's head away and slowly descended toward the ground.

At that moment, a knight in golden armor, wielding a golden battle-spear and riding a giant bear covered in brown scales, charged into the arena. He shouted, "Xiao Shishui, I challenge you to a duel!"

The bear was six meters long and over three meters tall. Its four thick paws were as massive as pillars. As it ran, the ground trembled and boomed. Its brown scales gleamed coldly—a fearsome presence. Riding exotic savage beasts was a tradition of the Sun Knights, combining the beast's strength with the rider's to create a terrifying charge.

The golden-armored knight wore no helmet. His long golden hair streamed in the wind like a flame of gold. He was a handsome Sun Knight, with eyes as clear as the blue sea, but now they blazed with murder, shooting forth sharp beams. His fair skin seemed carved from jade. A cold smile hung on his lips, lending him an air of pride and exceptional bearing.

The golden spear in his hand was a full four meters long. Its blade-like tip gleamed with a sinister cold light. Radiant gold from haft to blade, the knight seemed divine and martial as he held it. He blocked Xiao Chen's path and shouted, "Accept your punishment!"

Xiao Chen ignored him completely, walking straight ahead.

The golden spear tore through the void, sweeping down a curtain of golden light that barred his way.

Flash.

In a flicker of light, Xiao Chen left behind an afterimage. His Eight Aspect Worlds divine ability let him move freely, crossing the space the spear covered and stepping into the crowd.

"Coward! Will you not face me?"

Xiao Chen halted and looked at him with indifference. "I have no interest in a friendly spar with you. In my eyes, a true duel is decided by life and death. A fight with one hand tied behind your back—is that still a fight?"

"I came here to kill you, to settle life and death!" The handsome young knight urged his scale-armored bear forward, forcing the crowd to scatter.

Xiao Chen took a few steps back, facing him. "I really don't want to kill you. Don't push me." He did not wish to be entangled with Zhao Lin'er again. Let the past drift away with the wind. But now he saw himself on a path of opposition with her, something he wanted to avoid.

"Arrogant dog! Are you saying that if I duel you, I will surely die?"

Xiao Chen said nothing, only watched him in silence.

"You...!" The handsome knight was furious. "Let the facts prove it!"

"The seven experts of your Sun Knights have already fallen. I don't understand why Zhao Lin'er would send you out again..."

Hearing Xiao Chen address the sacred maiden by name, the young knight's eyes flickered with cold light. "I just arrived!" he said angrily.

"Oh? Then you must be the so-called third expert of the Sun Religion?" A glimmer of battle intent finally appeared in Xiao Chen's eyes.

The thousands watching in the arena were also startled. All eyes turned to the handsome knight.

"No!" He denied it flatly, then puffed out his chest with pride. "I am the ninth expert of the Sun Religion's younger generation—Pudel!"

Though not the third, ranking ninth among the Sun Religion's youth still demonstrated formidable strength, earning the crowd's respect.

But Xiao Chen shook his head. "Leave. I don't want to kill you."

"Arrogant!" Pudel charged with his golden spear.

Xiao Chen's eyes shot twin beams of cold light. By now, his identity might be exposed at any moment, and he had no qualms. His earlier evasion had been to avoid unnecessary slaughter. Seeing the man so persistent, he said coldly, "Very well. Then go meet your Sun God!"

Xiao Chen joined his hands in a seal—the Fearless Lion Seal. The Golden Lion King manifested again, as if cast from solid gold, its body fully materialized. It let out an earth-shaking roar and lunged forward furiously, colliding with the blazing light erupting from the golden spear. Golden waves surged; the heaven and earth's energy roiled; the entire arena trembled.

The watching crowd was both awed and unsettled. Xiao Chen had just slain an incarnation of the Golden Lion King, and now his Fearless Lion Seal summoned the buddha's true body. It felt absurd.

Even Xiao Chen felt a strangeness. This divine ability was rather speechless, but he saw no harm in using it. As he cultivated these arts, he felt that if he grew strong enough, he might one day summon the real Golden Lion King.

This must be a power of 'position'—the recognition of one's station by heaven and earth. Or perhaps, at a certain cultivation level, such a supreme being would naturally manifest.

If he ever could, Xiao Chen truly wanted to try imprisoning the Golden Lion King.

Amid the blinding radiance and deafening thunder, all finally settled. The scale-armored bear stumbled back over a dozen paces. Pudel gripped his golden spear, glaring at Xiao Chen, but his arm trembled slightly. In raw strength, he was no match for the fierce and forceful Fearless Lion Seal.

"I'll kill you!" Pudel charged again, his spear thrusting forward. As the bear charged, it unleashed a divine art, cracking the earth and sending dirt and stone rolling toward Xiao Chen in a wave, trying to bury him. The earthy yellow glow was intense—a power of earth. This was a powerful beast versed in curses.

The four-meter golden spear radiated holy light, murderous aura flooding out. Pudel bellowed, "Die!"

A technique—the Fury of the Sun—erupted. A golden sun, like a real star falling to earth, crashed down toward Xiao Chen. The rolling earth and stone melted into lava, surging at him.

Xiao Chen did not dodge. The Complete Vessel Seal condensed above his head—a crystal bottle floating, spitting out a cascade of sacred radiance. In an instant, the surging waves of energy were routed; the lava solidified into gray-brown volcanic rock.

Xiao Chen unfolded his Eight Aspect Worlds and shot into the sky, then dove down like a beam of light. His right hand raised high, a divine sword formed of condensed energy appeared, cleaving down.

Pudel raised his spear to meet the blow. With a metallic clang, the golden spear was severed. The energy sword's blade aura surged into Pudel's body, making him shudder violently and cough up mouthfuls of blood.

The bear beneath him was also struck as if by a thunderbolt, letting out earth-shaking roars. Blood poured from its mouth, its spirit flagging, and it collapsed weakly to the ground.

Xiao Chen pressed the energy sword against Pudel's throat, staring at him coldly, then strode away.

It was not that Pudel was weak, but that Xiao Chen had used full force without holding back—just like Bo Shi, Chen Hangjin, and Chu Xingkuang in the previous matches—seeking an instant resolution. Thus the battle ended quickly.

Pudel burned with fury. Such a defeat was worse than death. He was one of the four most handsome knights of the Sun Knights, and vanity was his weakness. Rage clouded his reason. He hurled the broken spear at Xiao Chen's back, a golden flash tearing through the void.

At the same time, the bear spat a bolt of lightning at Xiao Chen's retreating form.

Xiao Chen spun around instantly, his eyes blazing with cold light. His right hand shot out and caught the broken spear. With a shout, the golden spear dissolved into specks of golden light, and the lightning collapsed into nothing.

He walked back without a word, utterly emotionless. A divine sword condensed in his hand. He strode forward, his hair wild, his killing aura soaring. The radiance of the sword pierced the heavens, then cleaved down.

Blood burst forth. The divine sword bisected the ninth expert and fourth handsome knight of the Sun Knights at the waist. The bear was also cut in two. Blood sprayed, staining the arena floor.

The severed corpses twitched and quivered.

Xiao Chen turned and strode away without looking back. He flicked the Sword Ripples of Spiritual Resonance behind him. A Circle of Annihilation appeared, instantly disintegrating the remains on the ground to nothing.

A deterrent!

The Great Shang faction was jubilant. The Sun Religion's faces were dark as death, but no one could speak. A knight attacking from behind was already a disgrace. Dying like that, no one could avenge him.

"Your Holiness, the third expert of our Sun Religion has arrived at the arena."

Xiao Chen paid no heed and left.

Strangely, the Sun Religion did not stop him. Zhao Lin'er only watched his receding figure, lost in thought.

"What? Pudel is dead? I will fight Xiao Shishui!" The third expert of the Sun Religion stormed into the arena, but his opponent had already left.

And with this, the day's duels came to an end. It was not yet decided when they would resume, but everyone knew that the next round would be a peak confrontation between the strongest of the two nations. In a few days, the strongest fighters the Great Shang Empire had summoned would enter Yin Capital, and the outstanding representatives of several religions would also arrive.

The next day, Xiao Chen was just about to visit the ruins of Ancestral God Youchao in Yin Capital when a Sun Knight blocked his path. "The Sacred Maiden invites you!"

Xiao Chen was startled. Zhao Lin'er was inviting him? After a moment's thought, he replied, "Fine."

No one blocked his way. Xiao Chen followed the Sun Knight into a royal garden—a residence provided by the Great Shang Empire for the Sun Knights.

In a palace hall, Zhao Lin'er stood with her back to him. She dismissed everyone, then turned. A smile rippled across her face of unparalleled beauty. "Xiao Chen..."