Painting of the Nine Immortals
chapter-163

Ling Xian’s halberd pierced through the heart of the Prince. This scene sent every spectator into a state of shock.

Sunset City descended once again into silence. A deadly silence.

The victim was their beloved Third Prince.

The bravest, most brilliant son of the Emperor defeated. Who within the boundaries of the Zhou Dynasty would dare commit such an atrocity?

Ling Xian!

The power of the magical halberd drained the colors out of the world around them.

"Uh..."

The sound of people swallowing down their shock echoed throughout the crowd. No one dared to look Ling Xian in the eye. They now had real reasons to be afraid.

The revered Prince… the Third Prince of the Zhou Dynasty... dead?

Dead!

The empty shell of the figure began to disappear. This part of his soul existed no more. All that was left was the anger that lingered in the spirit’s deadly glare.

"My God, unbelievable. The warrior Prince defeated by a single strike of a halberd!"

"Who is that? He’s too strong! He can move mountains, rivers! He can turn our universe inside out!"

"He punctured a hole in the sky! A part of the Third Prince’s soul is dead. By dawn tomorrow, the entire Zhou Dynasty will hear of this! The Dynasty will descend into utter chaos!"

"You are right. There will be an earthquake of apocalyptical proportions!"

The City erupted. Crowds of spectators now gathered to examine Ling Xian in awe.

In the near future, the Zhou Dynasty will inevitably experience an unprecedented period of chaos brought on by a youth named Ling Xian.

A strike that killed the Third Prince!

What an unthinkable feat! News that could cripple the Zhou Dynasty.

In the near future, the name Ling Xian would be inked into the heart and mind of every citizen. Of course, no one knew his name. But they knew he was dressed in white. They knew he held a halberd. This image would never be forgotten.

Especially the Third Prince himself, defeated under the watchful eyes of his own citizens. This was a shame he would die before he can ever erase this from his memory.

He could and would never swallow this bitter pill of defeat. From this day forward, death will constantly be in search for Ling Xian wherever he may go.

"Ling Xian, you actually... killed him!"

Lin Qing Yi’s mouth fell open in shock, her chest rose and collapsed at an alarming speed. Her and the Third Prince had become mortal enemies. But never would she dare imagine that a part of the Prince’s soul would be slaughtered.

He was the undefeated Prince of the Zhou Dynasty.

He was known throughout the land and throughout the Dynasty’s history as the bravest and most talented royal ever to exist.

"Ah... friend, you… aren’t you perhaps a little..."

The Mayor of Sunset City exhaled loudly as if he was coughing up blood. He had expected, incorrectly, that the moment the Prince appeared, this ordeal would be over. Ling Xian would back off and go on his merry way.

However, even in his wildest dreams, he could have never expected Ling Xian to be this strong and reckless. He dared to challenge the Third Prince in public and kill him!

No hesitation. No second thoughts.

"A little what?"

Ling Xian smiled softly. "A little conceited?"

"Well..." The Mayor of the City let out another bittersweet smile. Those were the exact words he had wanted to use. But having just witnessed what happened when Ling Xian was angered, he shoved those words back down his throat.

His fear of Ling Xian had reached a boiling point.

He wasn’t the only one. Every spectator, including the middle-aged man, couldn’t help but collapse sheepishly to the ground.

"The Third Prince... just like this?"

The middle-aged man muttered hopelessly as he watched the Prince’s ghostly figure evaporate into nothing. His face was overcome with shock.

Even though he knew that this was not the real flesh of the Prince himself, but merely a fragment of his soul, he still couldn’t believe that a Prince of the Zhou Dynasty had just been defeated at the hands of a nameless traveler.

The Third Prince had always been his rock. With the rock gone, he wanted nothing but to dash out of sight. But his legs had turned to jelly. He was immobilized by fear.

"Your master is dead. Why don’t you follow him."

Ling Xian whispered to the middle-aged man who was trembling like a child. Without waiting for an answer, Ling Xian lifted his hand and unleashed an invisible strike. The forces shattered the man’s body into unrecognizable pieces. Then, with a gentle stir of the halberd, the two injured accomplices behind him screamed in agony and went quiet forever.

All three men lay dead in the middle of the street.

"My work here is finally done."

Ling Xian felt the weight of a mountain lift off of his shoulders. His killer instinct vanished in the same moment.

But it was not over. An epic storm awaited him. Soon enough, the Third Prince will issue a Kill Order for Ling Xian and Lin Qing Yi to be captured and executed.

"Ah… friend, you’ve punctured the heavens. By killing a part of the Prince’s soul in front of such a crowd, you’ve declared war on him. Soon, his army will be after you." The Mayor of Sunset City sighed heavily but haplessly.

Although he had nothing to do with this tragedy, the incident did occur under his jurisdiction. He will not be so easily spared.

He was conflicted by the situation. He didn’t know whether to send an order to have Ling Xian captured or let Ling Xian go free.

Ling Xian picked up on his dilemma and responded, "If you cannot decide, then, by all means, come after me. I can handle it."

"Well..." The Mayor of Sunset City hesitated as he relived the last painful moments of his own defeat. After making up his mind, he continued, "No, I am no match for you, and neither is my army. I can’t send them to their deaths."

"Then I thank you." Ling Xian smiled in return. He did not appear to understand the gravity of his actions at all.

"Why, don’t thank me. You frighten me." The Mayor of Sunset City waved his hands. Then, he warned him, "I think you understand the consequences of what you’ve just done. The Third Prince is a powerful man, in body and status. He’s also favored to be named the Crown Prince. I suggest you leave the Zhou Dynasty at once. Perhaps tomorrow you won’t get a chance."

"Thank you for reminding me. I shall leave at once."

Ling Xian paid his respects, grabbed Lin Qing Yi by her tiny waist and flew off on the backs of his giant wings. They disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The Mayor of Sunset City watched them disappear into thin air. He lingered for a brief moment before walking away.

"Ah... he punctured the heavens. The Zhou Dynasty is headed for another storm."