Painting of the Nine Immortals
chapter-93

Above the clouds, heavy waves of mana blanketed the sky. The majestic and terrifying energy rolled forward with great strength and vigor, dimming the color of Heaven and Earth and stealing away the Sun’s light.

The Red Robed Elder held onto his sword that was beaming with borderless spiritual lights. Under the rays of blinding reflections from the sword, Si Tu Nan was forced to defend. Using all his efforts, he dodged and blocked the Red Robed Elder’s aggressive attacks.

The emerald shield, though thick as a mountain, could not handle the sword’s sharp blade. As time went on and the two exchanged more rebuttals, the crack in the shield was getting deeper and deeper.

It was obvious that once the shield broke, Si Tu Nan would be no match against the Sword of Punishment.

Below them, Ling Xian was watching with a frown on his face. Looking at the two battling, he was starting to feel worried.

He knew very well that since both of them were in the completion level, the techniques they knew were around the same level. Even if the battle was not leading to a tie, Si Tu Nan should not be losing so quickly. The Red Robed Elder had the advantage of having a powerful weapon in his hand. Though Si Tu Nan’s shield was also extraordinary, it was not at the same level as the Sword of Punishment.

Because of all these factors, Si Tu Nan had the short end of the stick. He was fully restrained by the Red Robed Elder.

[Based on how things are going, Si Tu Nan will lose the battle very soon. As soon as he loses, I will die as well.] Ling Xian squinted his eyes as he analyzed the situation. After a while, he made a decision.

Support Si Tu nan.

Right now, Ling Xian and him were ants on the same rope. If Si Tu Nan loses, there was no way Ling Xian was going to escape from a completion-level cultivator. Therefore, for his own survival, he must help Si Tu Nan before it’s too late.

Though he was a tenth-realm cultivator, it was almost impossible to interrupt the battle between two cultivators of the completion level. However, he had a pair of Inner Eyes, and his pair was the fourth ranked Eyes of Execution!

Ling Xian’s black robe was dancing in the air again. His eyes shone. Within a blink one eye became white, and the other turned black. The fight above him became slow motion. Whether it was the Red Robed Elder with his destructive attacks, or the careful and defending Si Tu Nan, every move the two made were crystal clear in his eyes. No matter how small a movement was, it did not escape his divine vision.

To be able to observe fast paced movements in detail was one of the fundamental uses of the Eyes of Execution.

The ability to turn opponent’s actions into slow motion in order to observe the movements’ tracks and pinpoint their weaknesses was a highly sought after battle technique!

Up above, the fight continued.

The Red Robed Elder held onto his meter-long sword in a godly manner. The blade reflected rays after rays of light, flaunting its unmatchable sharpness. Si Tu Nan wasn’t granted with any opportunity to counter attack.

Si Tu Nan was having a harder and harder time in this battle. He was both attacking with his ice techniques and defending with his emerald shield. Even though he was not going to lose his life anytime soon, it was apparent that he cannot continue the fight this way much longer.

On the deck, Ling Xian was trying hard to use his Eyes of Execution to his advantage. A mysterious nine colored light transmitted out of his eyes. The Red Robed Elder’s movements slowed down infinitely and became even clearer.

Slowly, he found the weakness in his swordplay. Ling Xian alerted, “Elder Si Tu Nan, attack his left rib!”

“Hmm?” Si Tu Nan startled as he heard Ling Xian’s voice. Subconsciously, he attacked the Red Robed Elder’s left rib with his ice gun!

“Impossible!”

The Red Robed Elder lost his composure. He raised a finger, and a thick thunder rumbled and destroyed the ice gun. He then backed away from Si Tu Nan, stared at the youth in disbelief and asked in anger, “Who are you? Why were you able to see my weakness?”

Ling Xian remained calm. He didn’t show any emotions nor did he answer the Red Robed Elder’s question. He simply looked at Si Tu Nan and said, “Elder, I can support you from here. Please fight at ease.”

“Hahaha, good job Ling Xian. You sure are a divine genius!” Si Tu Nan laughed happily. Though his one attack was not that useful, because of Ling Xian’s observation, his opponent lost his stance, and this alone was enough for him to see the hope of winning the battle.

“Dammit, how did he see the weakness in my swordplay?” The Red Robed Elder was full of anger and panic. He could not find an answer to his question until he saw Ling Xian’s black and white pupils. He froze for a second before his expression turned into a twisted look of shock.

“This…this is the Eyes of Execution?”

The Red Robed Elder’s state of mind was shaken up. Staring right at the expressionless Ling Xian, he finally understood why his weakness was found by this youth in such a short period of time. This boy had an awakened pair of Eyes of Execution!

“Haha, at least you recognize talent when you see one!” Si Tu Nan laughed loudly. Looking at the astonished the Red Robed Elder, he hissed, “The real battle starts now. You have a godly weapon helping you, and I have the support of the Inner Eyes. Who will end up killing the other remains unknown.”

“So what he has the Inner Eyes? He is only an ant from the meditational level. Si Nan Tu, you must have lost your mind if you are placing all your hope on him. You might as well kneel before me and beg me to spare your life. You never know, I might feel kind enough to let you go.”

The Red Robed Elder snickered as he suppressed the terror he felt inside. There was a hint of greed in the way he looked at Ling Xian. He was one who followed the Demonic Path, and he knew many ways on how to replant someone’s Inner Eyes onto one’s own body. When he saw the Eyes of Execution, he felt fear, but more than that, there was also the presence of naked greed.

It was the Eyes of Execution!

Its very basic use was to see the weakness in any technique. More than that, there were even more powerful uses like the Sword of Extinction and the Winged Blitz. Every use it has was arrogantly irrepressible.

If he could catch this youth and take his Inner Eyes onto his own body, then how much more power would he gain? When that happens, who'd dare to look down on him?

The more the Red Robed Elder thought about his plan, the more fire his gaze held. He stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. “Well well well, this really was an opportunity granted by the gods. Initially, I thought killing you was already lucky of me, I sure did not think that I would meet a youth who has awakened the Eyes of Execution. If I can get his eyes, then I can dominate the world.”

Ling Xian frowned. He didn’t think that he would become the target of a completion level cultivator. However, because he had lived for a century, he has killed more than ten powerhouses in the completion stage. Why would he be afraid of the Red Robed Elder? He coldly sneered and taunted, “To say you are human, you don’t look like one. To say you are a ghost, you don’t qualify either. You want my Eyes of Execution? Why don’t you come down and try?”

“What a sharp-tongued child.” The Red Robed Elder was furious. At lightning speed, he flashed in front of Ling Xian and grabbed his neck with his dried up skinny hand.

“So fast!”

Ling Xian’s pupils shrunk, and the nine wings were expanding out of his back. Before he could start his flight, however, Si Tu Nan’s body blocked him. With the same movement, Ling Xian extended out one arm and crashed into the Red Robed Elder.

“You dare to touch a hair of his and the entire Wan Jian House will come out and slaughter you!”

After a loud growl that shattered the heaven, Si Tu Nan’s hair flapped out of anger. Chilliness again permeated the sky and the air around them transformed into a gigantic crown that stranded the Red Robed Elder’s waist!

The Crown of Ice and Snow!

This was one of the most powerful techniques of the ice element. It was not often used because while it damaged the opponent, it also hurt the user. It was a move that caused destruction on both sides!

The Red Robed Elder’s expression changed. He did not think Si Tu Nan would become this determined and use the Crown of Ice and Snow. He was not prepared for this and didn’t have the time to make any defensive move. He could only let the coldness erode his body.

“You dare to even think about stealing his eyes? Go die!” Si Tu Nan screamed. He concentrated all his mana into his right hand and punched the crown!

Crack, crack!

The Crown of Ice and Snow had cracked in a million places before it exploded with a boom! Hail and snow started to fall!

Puff!

The Red Robed Elder spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. His body, like a kite with a snapped string, lunged out for many meters. He uncontrollably spun for a while before he barely stabilized himself and took out a Dan from his pouch and swallowed it. He stared at Si Tu Nan dead in the eyes and said heavily, “Good, very good. To save this little guy’s life you used the Crown of Ice and Snow that hurts both of us. Si Tu Nan, I see that he is very important to you. Could it be that he is your bastard son?”

Si Tu Nan’s face was just as pale. It was apparent that after summoning the Crown of Ice and Snow technique, his body was very damaged as well. Upon hearing the Red Robed Elder’s accusation, he felt another gush of blood in his throat, “Go to hell! How dare you accuse me of such things. I warn you, if you try to touch him again, the Wan Jian House will chase you down anywhere you go, and we will make sure that there isn’t a place in this world where you can live comfortably!”

“Haha, I guess I was wrong. He is not your bastard son. He is the House Leader’s bastard son.” The Red Robed Elder chuckled and did not mind Si Tu Nan’s threats at all. He was alone with no family and has gotten used to life on the road. Even if all ten dynasties and all nine houses chased after him to kill him, he would still not forego the opportunity placed before him.

It was the fourth ranked Eyes of Execution!

If he misses this chance now, than it is unlikely he will see ever see this pair of eyes again in his lifetime. The Red Robed Elder definitely was not giving this up.

“Dammit, die!” Si Tu Nan was even more enraged. Ignoring the pain his body was feeling, he raised his arm and fired many ice guns at once!

“You think just because you hurt me with the Crown of Ice and Snow you are now a proper opponent of mine? Don’t overestimate yourself!” The Red Robed Elder sneered. He tossed the meter-long sword into the sky and formed a hand seal. The Sword of Punishment instantly became a mile long and was emitting heart-wrenching divinity!

“Heaven Shattering Sword!”

The giant sword floated in mid-air. Its blade sharp as a blade can be, and its imposing manner turned the weather even gloomier!

“Ling Xian, where is this move’s weakness?” Si Tu Nan’s face fell. He knew that there was no way he could block this move.

Ling Xian’s brows were twisted together as he studied this technique with his Eyes of Execution. He found nothing. He couldn’t help it but be a bit shaken up as he muttered to himself, “No weaknesses? No, no way. There is no perfect technique in this world. Every move is flawed.”

As he talked, he continued to focus on his eyes’ ability to slow down motions. Murky particles engulfed him as the mysterious nine colored light stretched out of his eyes. All these signs showed how the Eyes of Execution had been pushed to its limit!

However, no matter how hard he pushed himself, before the horrifying giant sword, he couldn’t find a flaw.

“Haha, you cannot find the weakness in this, can you? Child, though the Eyes of Execution is strong and it’s said to be undefeatable in many ways, your current training and capabilities are too weak. Why don’t you give it up and let me have your eyes? I promise that I will let your Eyes of Execution see all nine continents and dominate the world!” The Red Robed Elder grinned ferociously as the mile-long sword swept across the sky!

The wind blew, and sand filled the air. The Sword of Punishment was shining borderless and drew out a blinding ray of light in the shape of a rainbow. Its temperament was powerful and unstoppable!

“Dammit, this sure is a potent move. It’s even stronger than the moves I learned at the Hidden Sword Peak!”

Resolution flashed across Si Tu Nan’s face. He slapped his chest with his right hand and spat out a mouthful of blood. He then formed a hand seal with both of his hands as he prepared himself to unleash his most remarkable ability. He was going to determine the winner of this battle with this move, once and for all!