The people on the surface knew nothing of what was occurring deep underground.

  Right now, people from all sorts of places in the Eastern Sea Region were looking about with heads raised, awaiting the appearance of the disciples of the Three Protectors. They scuffled around with excited emotions.

  “Everyone, I am Xuan Xiaochao, disciple of Xue Xiyue, one of the Four Protectors. Sorry for the wait.”


  Suddenly, a loud voice rang out. Looking over at the origin of the voice, they saw a young man standing in air. He wore cloth clothing, and his countenance was sharp and handsome. He had the cultivation of a rank eight Martial Lord.

  “He’s come, he’s finally come! Is that Xue Xiyue’s disciple, Xuan Xiaochao?”


  “That Xue Xiyue is the only female of the Four Protectors. I’ve heard the reason she uses this name is because she enjoys killing under the radiance of the moon. Moreover, there are countless clans and powers that have been massacred by her under the moon—’washing the moon with blood’. That’s why everyone calls her Xue Xiyue.[1]”


  “Yeah! Although Xue Xiyue is female, of the Four Protectors, she is most akin to a demon who kills people as if they were grass. I didn’t expect her disciple to be so polite; it is truly unbelievable.”


  “Shh, quiet! As they say: ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’. No matter how much polite he is, a disciple of the Crippling Night Demon Sect’s Four Protectors, how polite can he really be? You dare to say his master is a female demon? Careful—he might just kill your entire family.”


  Xuan Xiaochao’s appearance attracted quite the commotion, but even more discussion was regarding his master. It could be seen that even though Xuan Xiaochao was strong, his master was the greater focus of the crowd.

  The appellation of the Four Protectors was really too well known. Even though they had vanished for many years, they were still feared by many.

  And, Xuan Xiaochao seemed to have already expected what sort of discussions were running about within the crowds. Regardless what others said, he was not angered. Instead, he smiled, looking around, and after a while, he said, holding his smile, “You Tonghan, since you’ve arrived, why not show yourself?”


  “Haha, Xuan Xiaochao, I didn’t think you would recognize me after so many years.” Immediately after Xuan Xiaochao finished speaking, another person shot out from the crowd.

  That man’s appearance was very similar to Xuan Xiaochao’s—sharp and handsome—but his eyes emitted eerie green light, akin to two lamps in the night; it was quite terrifying.

  “No matter how much you change, I will still recognize you with such special eyes,” said Xuan Xiaochao with a light smile.

  “He’s the disciple of You Mingdeng, You Tonghan. Indeed, he lives up to his name.[2]”


  “Yeah! I heard that the reason You Mingdeng chose him back then is because he had a pair of inborn, strange eyes. That’s why You Mingdeng gave You Tonghan his name.”


  His appearance similarly gave rise to quite the commotion. Those on scene, as if they were worshippers of the Four Protectors, had a very strong understanding of the Four Protectors, and even the disciples themselves.

  “Both of you, long time no see. How have you’ve been?” Just at that moment, a thunderous voice exploded from afar, spreading through the air.

  Looking over, they saw a large man with a face full of scars and a round stubble around his mouth. He gave off an appearance that he had seen many things in the world, and was currently walking over in the air.

  That man looked even more mature than Xuan Xiaochao and You Tonghan. From the outside, he even seemed like a middle-aged man who approached forty years of age.

  However, those who were familiar with him knew his age was just past thirty; he was even younger than Xuan Xiaochao and You Tonghan. He was Fu Liansheng’s disciple, Fu Fengming. He was the same as Xuan Xiaochao and You Tonghan—a rank eight Martial Lord.

  “Fu Fengming!”


  “He is definitely Fu Liansheng’s disciple, Fu Fengming.”


  “What happened? Isn’t he the youngest of the three geniuses, with the best appearance? Why does he look like this now?”


  “Ahh, it’s said that You Mingdeng and Xue Xiyue are the heartless ones, who train their disciples with fierceness and cruelty. But it appears that the fiercest one is actually Fu Liansheng. This can be easily seen by Fu Fengming’s current appearance.” Fu Fengming’s appearance actually became the hottest topic of the crowd.

  “So that’s Fu Liansheng disciple?” And, at that very instant, Chu Feng, who was deep underground, also paid attention to the events occurring on the surface.

  After seeing Fu Fengming, Chu Feng started planning how to approach that person, and how to figure out Fu Liansheng’s location.

  Chu Feng could tell that Fu Fengming was a rather cunning person. His outer appearance was his protection, so others could not see through him. At least, judging by his external looks, Chu Feng felt Fu Fengming was the one with the most guile of the disciples of the Three Protectors.

  Since the Spirit Formation that sealed off that area was round, not everyone was able to see the appearance of Fu Fengming and the others. However, as news spread extremely quickly, almost in the same instant Xuan Xiaochao appeared, news of him had already spread out.

  At that moment, almost everyone headed over in that direction. More and more people congregated there, and they awaited the arrival of a frightening battle.

  “I’ve heard that when the Four Protectors meet each other, it’s like they’re facing their father’s murderers. Why do these disciples have such a friendly appearance?”


  “Ah, then you don’t understand. Right now, the Crippling Night Demon Sect is in fragments. Its former glory is no more, and in a situation like this, perhaps the Four Protectors have already settled their grudges.”


  “Settled? Doesn’t that mean today’s arranged battle is voided?”


  Seeing their peaceful moods and even amiable conversations, there was actually people who worried there would not be an arranged battle, afraid that the long-awaited scene would not occur.

  “Brother Chao, Brother Han, we’ve come to this place by our master’s order to determine the superior one. Everyone here has waited for a long time as well, so shall we immediately start the sparring between us?” said Fu Fengming suddenly with a smile.

  After he spoke, everyone started getting excited; their blood started boiling as well. Fu Fengming’s words let them know that their worries were unnecessary, that the three geniuses who had disappeared for many years were indeed here to determine who was the strongest by starting a competition.

  “Brother Ming, no need to rush. As a part of the Crippling Night Demon Sect, since we will spar, we must do it within the land of the Crippling Night Demon Sect.

  “How about we first unseal this Spirit Formation, and determine the winner then within the Crippling Night Demon Sect’s Depraved Ravine?” said Xuan Xiaochao with a smile.

  “My thoughts exactly.” Fu Fengming and You Tonghan both nodded. Afterwards, as the crowd looked at them, they started to lay a formation.

  “Heavens! They are all Gold-cloak World Spiritists! At such an age, with such cultivation, they’ve already become Gold-cloak World Spiritists! As expected of the direct disciples of the Three Protectors.”


  As they started, golden radiance immediately spewed everywhere. The golden Spirit Formation let everyone know that they were all Gold-cloak World Spiritists.

  “Indeed, they’re preparing to open this formation? It seems that the Crippling Night Demon Sect’s plan must be executed within that Spirit Formation.” Chu Feng too was paying close attention to that all. As he saw the three of them lay the formation, a hint of an expectant smile curled up. He knew that the true good show was soon to appear.

  Xue = blood, xi = wash, yue = moon. AKA, killing so much the blood can wash the moon—a bloody massacre underneath the moonlight.You = eerie, Tong = pupil.