Chapter 0713: Shen Jinxiao's True Strength
"Hehe. President Yu, how can you use such harsh words on me? I don't want to have anything to do with the Origin Reversion Inst.i.tute."
When faced with Yu Hongxi's grating words, Zhu Qinghuo smiled and shook his head before he continued, "I'm sure you can guess my reasons for doing so. I won't hide it—I want to see House Luolan be destroyed."
His gaze turned emotionless at this point. Due to his actions at the Housemeet, he basically had a blood feud with Li Taixuan and Tan Tailan. As a result, he would not hesitate to throw stones when they were down.
Furthermore, the one directly dealing with House Luolan was Shen Jinxiao, who had ties with the Origin Reversion Inst.i.tute. If House Luolan did get wiped off the face of the earth and Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e both died, Li Taixuan and Tan Tailan’s largest target would be Shen Jinxiao if they ever returned. As a result, he might even be able to fish up some benefits from their struggle. Thus, he would happily watch Shen Jinxiao destroy House Luolan.
At this point in time, he definitely did not wish to see Yu Hongxi a.s.sist House Luolan.
"President Yu, the Golden Dragon Bank has always been neutral. There is no need to muddy the waters. If you retreat here, I'm willing to apologize for any past transgressions," Zhu Qinghuo sincerely said.
Yu Hongxi was unmoved, only coldly watching him. "Are you sure you want to restrain me? Zhu Qinghuo, if you anger me, I won't stop till I make you pay a price."
Her threatening words caused Zhu Qinghuo's eyebrows to twitch in surprise. Frankly speaking, he had always somewhat feared Yu Hongxi. Just because she was always kind and amiable didn't mean that anyone should underestimate her. Whoever did so was the true fool.
The Golden Dragon Bank had countless factions internally, but all of them had been reined in tightly by the woman before him. This not only showed how effective her methods were, it was also testament to her own strength.
She had rarely exchanged blows personally in recent years, so Zhu Qinghuo was unaware of how strong she was. However, he understood that the combination of Golden Dragon Bank's resources and her talent would mean that it was unlikely that she was any weaker than he was.
Even though he had entered the fourth-grade, it did not mean that he was sure to win.
However... If he wanted to buy time, that was something that could be done.
With these thoughts in mind, Zhu Qinghuo no longer hesitated. He waved his hand, and a cyan feather fan appeared in his grasp. A deep, red flame was slowly ascending into the air above the fan. As the flame condensed, it seemed to form the figure of a vermillion bird that swallowed up the flame before letting out a clear cry throughout the sky.
A violet eye mark could be seen on the handle of the fan.
This was his violet-eye treasured artifact.
"You were the one who helped me obtain the Vermillion Bird Treasure Fan all those years ago. Who would have expected that many years later, it would be used to restrain you? This truly is the heavens playing tricks on us." The void behind Zhu Qinghuo trembled as four mountainous Duke Bergfrieds manifested, absorbing endless amounts of worldly natural energy.
Zhu Qinghuo waved the Vermillion Bird Treasure Fan, and deep, red flames endlessly gushed out, forming four gigantic flame pillars.
Yu Hongxi remained standing in the air, her gaze turning colder and colder as a mocking smile formed on her lips.
"Zhu Qinghuo, you might not know this, but I have a very particular habit. That is, if a person I'm wary of purchases a violet-eye treasured artifact from the Golden Dragon Bank, I find a way to counter it in order to protect myself from any future trouble. Unlucky for you, Zhu Qinghuo, you were precisely on that list." Afterwards, she flicked her wrist, and a jade bottle appeared in her hand. She uncorked the bottle, and a white snowflake gradually floated into the air.
The temperature, which had been rapidly climbing, plummeted instantly and even the ground froze over.
The snowflake directly fused with the void, and the drastic change in weather made it seem like the coldest of winters had come.
At the same time, Zhu Qinghuo's four flame pillars began to dissipate rapidly, eventually completely extinguis.h.i.+ng.
This scene immediately caused Zhu Qinghuo to become disheartened, and an incomparably ugly expression formed on his face.
The mysterious snowflake was definitely some sort of treasure. It had transformed the environment into a battlefield that was disadvantageous to him. The Vermillion Bird Treasure Fan, which he had spent a hefty sum to purchase from the Golden Dragon Bank, was completely unable to demonstrate its strength.
What was most frustrating to him was Yu Hongxi herself! She had concealed her intentions deeply and had even kept such a trump card in reserve.
However, Yu Hongxi ignored Zhu Qinghuo's gloomy expression as she took a step forward with the void rippling behind her. Similarly, her own four Duke Bergfrieds manifested and her resonant power rippled explosively, like a tempest descending upon the world.
Zhu Qinghuo's heart sank. Yu Hongxi had become a fourth-grade Duke some time ago, and judging by the resonant power undulations, she was even stronger than him!
It seemed as though Yu Hongxi was determined to rescue Li Luo. He would just do his best to buy time and hope that Shen Jinxiao could complete the task.
With this in mind, he no longer spent time mulling over what could not be changed. Crimson runes surfaced on his Duke Bergfrieds, manifesting into an erupting volcano.
...
As the grayish-white bone ash continued to scatter...
House Luolan's convoy was in a state of chaos. Everyone seemed a little panicked, but with senior elders like Yuan Qing and Lei Zhang doing their utmost to pacify everyone, the situation didn’t deteriorate much further.
Cai Wei and Yan Lingqing were standing together, both staring at Shen Jinxiao, who was blocking the road. When they turned to face each other, they could see traces of worry in each other’s eyes.
Ox Biaobiao's figure slowly ascended into the sky. The bloodstained pig-butchering knife gradually lengthened, eventually transforming into a ma.s.sive blade that radiated shocking amounts of fiendish air.
Chi Chan's gaze was frigid. The void behind her rippled, and three Duke Bergfrieds appeared, sucking in vast amounts of worldly natural energy and radiating a sense of majesty.
However, they were slightly smaller when compared to the previous two she had shown. It seemed as though they had been formed not too long ago.
"Oh? You've become a third-grade Duke, Chi Chan?" A look of surprise surfaced on Shen Jinxiao's face. Based on his sources, Chi Chan was a second-grade Duke, and it seemed as though she had just broken through.
"Did Vice princ.i.p.al Su Xin give you some sort of treasure?" Shen Jinxiao smirked.
"It looks like you should thank me after all. If I had not ruined the college, how could Su Xin bear to use up the treasures of the college?"
Chi Chan's gaze was frosty as she stared daggers at Shen Jinxiao with unmasked killing intent. "Shen Jinxiao! The Ichthyic curse that was inflicted upon me must have been your doing! Now that I think about it, when the clone of the Ichythian King descended, it must have been because of you!"
Shen Jinxiao did not continue making excuses like he had done in the past, only attentively nodding. "You guessed correctly. I summoned the Ichythian King that day, and the goal was to ensure that even more Violet Vibrance mentors would be afflicted by his Ichthyic curse."
Chi Chan clenched her fist as she venomously glowered at Shen Jinxiao. If looks could kill, she would have torn Shen Jinxiao into b.l.o.o.d.y shreds at that very moment.
On the other hand, Shen Jinxiao seemed unfazed as he prepared to face Ox Biaobiao and Chi Chan together. He didn't seem to show any hesitation or timidity when facing two Dukes. He beamed at Li Luo. "Is this everything you've prepared for today? If you are hoping that the college or the Golden Dragon Bank will come to your timely aid, I'm afraid there won't be enough time. These two Dukes can't stop me."
Li Luo frostily exchanged glances with Shen Jinxiao. Just as he was about to speak, a voice piped up from the midst of House Luolan's convoy.
"What if you add me to the equation?"
Countless looks shot over at a figure who had unknowingly been standing on the roof of one of the carriages.
This person... was House Duze's Duze Yan! When faced with the sudden appearance of Duze Yan, even Jiang Qing'e seemed to be flabbergasted at the sudden development. She turned to Li Luo and asked, "You actually invited him along?"
She knew that Li Luo had been making preparations to deal with Shen Jinxiao all this time and had similarly sought a.s.sistance from others. However, she could never have imagined that Duze Yan would arrive, as the two houses could barely even be considered friends. Even during the Housemeet, Duze Yan had only restrained Si Qing. After which, he had remained relatively distant.
"House Lord Duze said that the only reason he agreed was because Shen Jinxiao ruined House Duze, to the point where they had to migrate reluctantly. Now that they have enmity between them, he is willing to act." Li Luo smiled.
Jiang Qing'e did not say much in response. She knew that this was just Duze Yan's excuse. He had a proud personality and would never admit to coming to House Luolan's a.s.sistance... The only thing was that House Luolan now owed a huge favor to them as well.
"Duze Yan, it looks like you've been conquered by Li Taixuan after all." Shen Jinxiao quietly observed Duze Yan as he shook his head. He had never expected him to a.s.sist House Luolan.
"In any case, your a.s.sistance is meaningless. You're just a second-grade Duke." Shen Jinxiao smiled and his eyes turned endlessly cold, like he had become a glacier.
"Now that all of your trump cards have been revealed, it should be my turn now."
Shen Jinxiao raised his hand, and the void behind him rippled.
"After hiding myself for so many years, I can finally release myself unrestrainedly. Ah, I've truly looked forward to this day." Shen Jinxiao's grinned deeply as his hands formed a hand seal.
Immediately after, six Duke Bergfrieds the size of ma.s.sive mountains smashed through the void, releasing a horrifying, suppressive aura that washed over everyone like a raging tsunami, sweeping across the earth and the sky.
Six Duke Bergfrieds!
Shen Jinxiao was actually a sixth-grade Duke!