Painting of the Nine Immortals
chapter-162

"The entire city descended into a state of shock."

The deep, raspy voice penetrated the air like a bellowing thunder strike. Ling Xian was the only one in the crowd that remained unfazed.

The distant voice was not distant at all. The very next moment, the golden dragon that jumped off the shield morphed into a handsome young man. He was a man of incredible form and beauty. His level of perfection invited envy even from the most stunning woman.

The man was dressed from head to toe in a pure white robe, his hair falling loosely around his shoulders. He did not have the appearance of a mortal man. Suspended in midair and surrounded by a colorful spectrum of light, the Prince appeared a God.

"My goodness, it’s... the Third Prince!"

Still in awe, the crowd of spectators erupted in jubilation.

"Prince, save me!"

The middle-aged man let out a huge sigh of relief. He couldn’t have imagined that a piece of the Prince’s soul had been sealed inside the shield. He knew he was safe.

The thought that he could still die never crossed his mind. The revered Prince had revealed himself in the flesh. Who would dare disrespect his wishes?

Not inside the borders of the Zhou Dynasty.

His sentiments were shared by the Mayor of Sunset City. He looked at Ling Xian regretfully, then back at the Prince and bowed, "I am the Mayor of Sunset City. Welcome, Prince."

"Welcome, Prince!"

Everyone knelt at once, their eyes lowered.

Lifting their gaze would be a sign of deep disrespect.

Of course, Lin Qing Yi remained standing, and so did Ling Xian, who examined the floating figure with a look of disdain.

He had merely wanted to kill the middle-aged man and his two accomplices. Having repeatedly been interfered, Ling Xian had already reached the tip of his boiling point. But now, he was ready to launch a massacre.

"An Yi, lift your chest up and come to my side. I want to see who dares to hurt my men in my own country." The Third Prince spoke with a fierce determination mixed in with a touch of arrogance.

"Yes!" The middle-aged man lifted his chest and leaped towards the Prince at once. Evidently, the Third Prince was an enormous confidence booster to him.

He had his reasons, of course. Within the borders of the Zhou Dynasty, the Third Prince was the much loved, much admired, much feared de facto ruler of the Dynasty. It is unthinkable that anyone would dare slaughter his men under his watch.

For this reason, the middle-aged man’s confidence skyrocketed, and his arrogance returned.

"Did I say you could move? Lay down your life!"

Ling Xian narrowed his gaze and followed suit. His expression showed a complete lack of fear. The mention of the Third Prince meant nothing to him.

"Did you not hear what I said? If you dare kill my man, I’ll skin you raw!" The Prince bellowed angrily.

"Keep your instructions to yourself!"

Ling Xian bellowed right back at him. "You expect me to be awed by the little trick of soul splitting? If you keep running your mouth, I’ll have no choice but to kill you too!"

"Good, good, good, where did this fool come from? You dare disrespect me?"

The Prince was now completed provoked. He had never had anyone speak to him in this way.

Not to mention an adolescent. Even elders who had lived a hundred years wouldn’t dare.

"The Third Prince, high and mighty. Too bad that means nothing to me. You irritate me with your nonstop nonsense. I’ll need to kill you first."

Ling Xian let out a cold, cunning smile and unleashed his halberd without warning. The terrifying dust storm returned instantly.

"You dare strike at me? What a fool!"

The Third Prince was infuriated. Since the day he was born, never in his life had he experienced this type of treatment. Not to mention having a weapon pointed at him.

"Go to hell!"

The Prince unleashed his dragon in return. The creature took a deep inhale and launched forward. Halberd and dragon collided under a splendid display of magical flares and fireworks.

However, he was only a split portion of his soul. How could a partial man defend himself against Ling Xian?

Hommmm!

The halberd light up as it came into contact with the dragon. In less than a single blink, the dragon exploded into a cloud of thin air. Having punctured the dragon, the halberd had no more obstacles. It was headed directly for the Prince’s heart.

"You..."

The Prince suddenly found himself descending furiously into a state of confusion and shock. He turned his body sideways and avoided a chest-on collision with the halberd with only moments to spare. But it was too late. The halberd had left its mark. A long, fleshy wound appeared on one side of his flawless face.

"I...I’m injured?!"

The Prince touched his wound softly with his fingers, still shocked. Throughout his entire life and the countless battles he had fought, never once had he sustained an injury.

But in this round, his precious blood had been spilled. This was a shame he had never experienced. After a long moment of pause, an earsplitting scream broke the air. The terrifying scream echoed throughout the entire city and beyond.

"What you’ve done to me today I’ll remember forever. One day, I’ll make your whole family pay for this!"

"If you show your true body, I’ll slaughter it just the same." Ling Xian smiled condescendingly. Then, a corner of his lips curled up as he continued, "Now, I shall send you on your way."

On your way...

What a threat!

Before his voice trailed off, Ling Xian had already disappeared. Seconds later, he reappeared in the sky, leaving a giant opening in the clouds behind him. Halberd in hand, he dashed through the air towards the Prince.

Hommmm!

The heavens opened, and a full spectrum of light rained down onto the earth.

"Goddammit!"

The Prince’s face had turned maroon. He had completely lost his logic and senses. At this moment, he had become a mortal man. He sensed fear. Even though this was only a part of his soul, this was nonetheless a soul with feelings.

Shame!

Shame as never before felt by the Prince. No one had ever dared to ever think about killing him. Now, this youth was telling him so.

"Ah! I want you dead!"

The Prince had lost his composure completely. His long, black hair danced wildly against the wind. One after another, he unleashed every weapon he could summon.

But one by one, the weapons vanished into dust on contact with Ling Xian’s halberd.

"Uhhhhhh!"

As his last one weapon disappeared into thin air, the halberd pierced through his chest.

Sunset City descended once again into silence.

A deadly silence.