HSSB748: Accepting battle
Lin Hanhua glanced at Kang Ping with a rather dissatisfied look on his face. His sharp sword-intent surged as it was even fiercer than Kang Ping’s.
“Mister Kang, I can understand that your heart is filled with hatred over your late wife’s death. Still, if you want to kill a guest of my Golden Court Mountain in front of me, this Lin will be unable to just ignore it like this.”
Lin Hanhua waved towards Yan Zhaoge, indicating for him to retreat.
He gazed straight at Kang Ping, “Master did allow you to remain in the Royal Reed Sea. Still, this does not mean that you can act however you want on the territory of the southeastern Yang Heaven Territory, viewing my Golden Court Mountain as non-existent in the meantime.”
Kang Ping said coldly, “The Shadow Mountain Sword King overstates things. This Kang does not hold any disrespect at all towards the Southeastern Exalt and Golden Court Mountain. Yet, vengeance has to be exacted for my wife’s death. After this is over, Kang Ping will travel to Golden Court Mountain to apologise for my crimes. Whatever punishment the Southeastern Exalt metes out, this Kang will definitely accept it without question.”
“Still, Shadow Mountain Sword King is really going too far if you want this Kang to swallow it all and bear it silently like this.”
Seeing Lin Hanhua’s gaze turn cold, Kang Ping’s expression did not change in the least, “My wife was my junior apprentice-sister as well. Two people of my lineage have already perished due to this Yan Zhaoge.”
“This brat surnamed Yan is not of Golden Court Mountain. Would Golden Court Mountain prevent me from getting my revenge?”
Lin Hanhua looked coldly at him, “You of the seventh level of the Martial Saint realm want to deal with someone of the first level of the Martial Saint realm. What face have you to speak of?”
“If there is personal enmity between you that has to be settled, my Golden Court Mountain will definitely not intervene in it. I hear that both your sons are at the third level of the Martial Saint realm, the late Merging Avatar stage?”
“Why is it that they have not appeared to take revenge for their mother, you instead appearing?”
“In terms of age, they should be much older than Little Friend Yan, and in terms of cultivation base, they are two levels higher as well,” Lin Hanhua chortled, “Let us just consider them as being of the same generation. Why are we not seeing them coming to take revenge for their deceased mother?”
Yan Zhaoge’s strength which far surpassed martial practitioners of the same cultivation level was already a widely recognised fact in the Royal Reed Sea now.
Even Lin Hanhua and Kang Ping were aware of this.
While Kang Maosheng and Kang Jinyuan were both at the late Merging Avatar stage, facing off against Yan Zhaoge, even Kang Ping would not feel any confidence in their chances of success.
Kang Jinyuan had directly fought with Yan Zhaoge before. He need not even been mentioned.
Kang Ping had always felt proud of Kang Maosheng who was outstanding amongst those of his generation.
However, facing Yan Zhaoge, his inferiority would inevitably show.
It was not because he was not remarkable enough. Instead, his opponent was just too heaven-defying!
Lin Hanhua was clearly biased in his words, having been leaning towards Yan Zhaoge all this while.
Still, the name of the old bullying the young was already sufficient for him to intervene in the matter.
Yan Zhaoge was close with Golden Court Mountain. If he asked them for assistance, they would have every reason to lend him a hand, with the sole consideration being the major figure standing behind the Grand Xuan Dynasty.
Kang Ping’s pupils dilated slightly, “Is this the stance of Golden Court Mountain or the personal one of the Shadow Mountain Sword King?”
Lin Hanhua raised his brows, “So what if it is my personal stance?”
Kang Ping would not budge an inch, “The Shadow Mountain Sword King possesses rampant strength, and this Kang is probably not your opponent. Still, I have no choice but to battle, just dying at most.”
“Nothing will be the matter if I die. With the dominance of the Southeastern Exalt, there is nothing he needs to fear. Still, if this causes the relationship between our sides to deteriorate, is it worth it?”
Lin Hanhua chuckled, his gaze suddenly turning dangerous, “Who are you threatening?”
Kang Ping shook his head, “Golden Court Mountain’s lineage consists fully of martial practitioners of the dao of the sword who are tough and intractable. You are an elite amongst them, so how would I even think of threatening you? I am just making a fact clear to you.”
He pointed at Yan Zhaoge, “This Kang must slay this brat, whatever the means that I have to use, whatever the price that I have to pay!”
Lin Hanhua frowned. He certainly did not fear Kang Ping. However, it would inevitably be troublesome if Kang Ping died.
The death of a Merging Avatar Martial Saint like Liao Zheng could not be compared at all to that of a Seeing Divinity Martial Saint like Madame Kang.
While Madame Kang was the wife of Kang Ping, that relationship was only a concern of the two of them. In the eyes of others, what held primary significance was that Kang Ping was an expert of the Immortal Bridge Martial Saint realm.
The death of an Immortal Bridge Martial Saint would again hold different significance from that of a Seeing Divinity Martial Saint.
Kang Ping was the Grand Xuan Dynasty’s current strongest expert in the Royal Reed Sea, with the duty of the Heaven Bearing Efficate Formation resting mostly on his shoulders rather than that of King Xuanmu’s.
He stubbornly refused to give in unless he was dead. If he was killed by Lin Hanhua, the person who stood behind him would likely be enraged.
The Southeastern Exalt had given permission for Kang Ping and the others to continue staying in the Royal Reed Sea, probably already having reached an agreement with that major figure in doing so. If something like this were to crop up at a time like this, there would inevitably arise the suspicion that they had gone back on their word.
Lin Hanhua himself feared nothing, trampling over all that stood in his path. Yet, he did not know what his Master was thinking.
Kang Ping looked coldly at Yan Zhaoge, “Weren’t you very arrogant just now? Now, you can only hide behind the backs of others?”
“You don’t have to be like this. Goading is of no use against me,” Yan Zhaoge smiled, “Still, what I said just now is truly what I am thinking. There is nothing which I have to be afraid of admitting.”
He nodded towards Lin Hanhua, saying sincerely, “This Yan is endlessly grateful for the Sword King’s grace. If I can leave the Royal Reed Sea, I will definitely head to Golden Court Mountain to thank you and the Southeastern Exalt, as well as seniors Mountain Ocean Sword and Flying Feather Assailant.”
“As a guest, I should do as is convenient for the host as much as possible. If it is possible not to bring trouble to the host, that would naturally be for the best.”
Lin Hanhua saw that Yan Zhaoge was speaking truly rather than feigning it to win his goodwill.
Even as he felt admiration, he also felt greatly puzzled.
Looking coldly at Yan Zhaoge, Kang Ping nodded, “Very good, extremely good.”
Saying thus, unwilling to wait even a moment longer, he directly struck, lining his index and middle fingers into a sword and stabbing out towards Yan Zhaoge!
While his movements seemed slow, they were actually extremely swift such that even someone of Lin Hanhua’s cultivation base felt like a blur was moving before his eyes.
Such swiftness would probably not be something that Yan Zhaoge could react to under normal circumstances as he would probably have been unknowingly struck and slain without even the knowledge of how he had died.
However, Yan Zhaoge seemed to have long predicted this as his figure shook, a clone seemingly manifesting as the Northern Ocean Clone swiftly revealed himself.
Yan Zhaoge had been on high alert all this time, being ready to stand against Kang Ping at any time.
While he felt no fear, he was not a fool as he was completely aware of the gap between him and Kang Ping.
When Kang Ping truly attacked, Yan Zhaoge knew that he likely would not have the time to react. The other party’s cultivation base was too high and he also cultivated in a martial art like the Time Flowing Sword. In terms of attack speed, he was comparable to Lin Hanhua of the eighth level of the Martial Saint realm.
Therefore, Yan Zhaoge had been making preparations in secret, actually having moved half a step earlier than Kang Ping.
After he had finished speaking, some preparations that he had previously made in secret were directly activated!
A great glorious sun rose into the air, its tyrannical, majestic concept resembling the sun hanging high within the sky. It was none other than the high-grade Sacred Artifact, the Extreme Yang Seal!
Having long since expected this, Kang Ping’s expression did not change as he still stabbed out with a sword.
“The Extreme Yang Seal that you wield cannot exert the might of a high-grade Sacred Artifact in the first place. How would you be able to block my sword with this treasure? Your life is mine for sure!”