Experts Gather to Snatch Snow Ginseng

However, things quickly took a turn. Hidden in the shadows was a top-tier expert comparable to the Golden Eagle Envoy Wang Zhen. Seeing that the martial artists' morale was about to collapse, someone finally couldn't help but reveal themselves.

Amidst a burst of laughter, a figure leaped out from behind another mountain. With a single bound, they covered over ten meters, soaring through the air like a great goose before landing at the foot of the mountain. Instantly, all eyes turned to the newcomer. Someone recognized him and shouted:

"It's Thunderclap Palm Xiao Yunzhong, the elder Xiao!"

As the old man landed, he smiled and cupped his hands towards the Golden Eagle Envoy, whose expression had turned grave.

"It's been many years, Brother Wang. I trust you are well!"

Wang Zhen returned the salute with a cupped fist and said in a deep voice:

"Brother Yunzhong, you want the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng too?"

Thunderclap Palm Xiao Yunzhong stroked his gray-black long beard and nodded:

"Naturally. Brother Wang, you must know my lifespan is nearing its end, and I desperately need this Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng to prolong my life. If you are willing to give it to me, I will not only escort you back to the Central Plains, but I also swear that from now on, my Xiao family will steer clear of anywhere your Dushan Fortress goes."

The Golden Eagle Envoy Wang Zhen shook his head and said:

"Brother Xiao's offer is very tempting, and I should agree. Unfortunately, this Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng is specifically requested by the Fortress Lord. I, as an envoy, am not authorized to give it away."

Xiao Yunzhong's smile slowly faded from his face, and he asked in a deep voice:

"King Dushan, has his cultivation reached that level?"

Wang Zhen nodded. Xiao Yunzhong's expression grew even more serious, and his aura surged. He said in a deep voice:

"Since that is the case, then I must not let you take the Snow Ginseng back."

With that, he suddenly looked up towards Lin Xiao's direction and shouted:

"My lord, you must have heard. If King Dushan obtains this treasure and advances further, no one in the world will be able to stop him, and the entire martial world will fall into catastrophe. Let us join forces to seize this treasure, and we shall split it afterward."

Suddenly, everyone looked in that direction. Lin Xiao, who was sitting under a tree, was startled. He looked around, then at the hundreds of gazes fixed upon him. He knew he had been discovered. With a helpless sigh, he patted his butt, stood up, and walked out.

Over twenty Descenders were standing in a hollow midway up the slope, watching the figure descending from above. He Qiu frowned and said:

"This time it's a bit difficult. Three top-tier experts are present. No matter which side obtains it, it will be hard for us to snatch the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng from them."

He then looked at the strongest person in their group and asked:

"If we join forces, do we have a chance of dealing with one of them?"

However, that person did not answer. Instead, a look of surprise appeared on his face, his mouth opening involuntarily, wider and wider. Looking at the others, who were also filled with shock, he quickly turned his head. He saw Lin Chen leaping down from the mountaintop and, with his mouth agape, murmured after a long while:

"How could it be him?"

Lin Xiao swept past him, glanced back at them, and gave a smile with an unreadable expression.

"Holy crap, since when did the Descenders have such a powerful expert?"

There was no answer, nor could anyone answer. They all watched as Lin Xiao descended from the sky and landed on a rock not far from the Golden Eagle Envoy. He curled his lips and cupped his fists towards the equally surprised Golden Eagle Envoy and Thunderclap Palm Xiao Yunzhong, saying:

"I am Lin Xiao. Greetings, seniors."

The two masters exchanged glances, unable to hide the disbelief in their eyes. Even Thunderclap Palm Xiao Yunzhong, who had called out Lin Xiao's presence, was astonished. He said in an incredulous tone:

"When did such a formidable young man appear in the martial world? How have I never heard of him?"

Following that, Xiao Yunzhong's face lit up with joy:

"Young man, you've arrived at the perfect time! Let us join forces to seize the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng from him, and we'll split it. What do you say?"

Lin Xiao nodded:

"Alright!"

Although he had initially intended to keep it all for himself, it seemed he could only cooperate now. He couldn't defeat either the Golden Eagle Envoy Wang Zhen or Thunderclap Palm Xiao Yunzhong. Perhaps his internal force and lightness skill were not inferior to theirs, but his actual combat experience and martial arts were far too lacking. Even now, he would only be assisting, with Xiao Yunzhong being the main force.

As the two settled their terms, the Golden Eagle Envoy Wang Zhen's expression did not change. He merely said in a deep voice:

"A battle today is inevitable. It just so happens that I wish to see if Brother Xiao's skills have improved over the years."

As for Lin Xiao, Wang Zhen didn't even mention him, only glancing his way. The killing intent in his eyes was like needles, causing Lin Xiao's skin to tingle painfully.

"Damn it, this old bastard wants to kill me."

At his level of martial arts, his perception was far more acute than ordinary people's. He could naturally sense the killing intent in Wang Zhen's eyes and immediately became extremely vigilant.

With a soft shout from Xiao Yunzhong, he vanished. In an instant, he crossed over ten meters and met Wang Zhen, who had also charged forward, in mid-air. With a 'snap', they separated upon contact.

At the same time, a circle of airwaves spread out from beneath Lin Xiao's feet, causing the rock to tremble slightly. A figure appeared out of nowhere behind the retreating Golden Eagle Envoy of Dushan Fortress and pressed down with a claw. The figure on the rock then vanished like a bubble.

Wang Zhen let out a cold snort and counterattacked with a claw strike, precisely meeting Lin Xiao's claw. With a muffled 'bang', Lin Xiao felt a powerful inner force surge towards him like a tide. He unleashed his stored inner force, shattering the incoming force. A distinct ripple expanded and exploded between their claws, separating them.

Mid-air, Lin Xiao twisted his body, flicked his sleeve, and struck the void to stop his momentum. He rapidly retreated upwards, drew the Hundred-Forged Fine Steel Saber from his back, and with a single slash of 'Galloping Waves', he unleashed a strike. Over sixty years of inner force was infused into the saber, and a dazzling saber aura extended nearly a foot from the fine steel saber.

"Holy crap, saber aura!"

An unknown number of martial artists and Descenders alike showed expressions of shock. Some couldn't help but curse.

"How did this guy train? He looks even younger than us. Even if he started training from birth, he couldn't possibly have this much inner force."

"Could it be a clone descending with innate power?"

"Impossible, this is a projection descent."

"Maybe he had a fortunate encounter!"

This was the most likely explanation. Everyone fell silent, their faces filled with envy and jealousy.

Gripping the fine steel saber, with over two hundred years of inner force fueling it, Lin Xiao unleashed an indestructible and sharp saber aura. He struck four consecutive times, the last four blows merging into the final move of the Three Rivers Saber, 'Furious Waves'. The saber aura generated by the four combined strikes was nearly two feet long.

Meanwhile, Thunderclap Palm Xiao Yunzhong was not idle. While Lin Xiao was making his full effort, he had already flashed behind the Golden Eagle Envoy Wang Zhen. Raising his palms, the sound of wind and thunder erupted. As his palms struck down, a thunderous roar ensued, like a clap of thunder.

Facing the pincer attack of two experts of the same caliber, the Golden Eagle Envoy Wang Zhen was unfazed. He raised his arms, his sleeves shattering to reveal a pair of withered arms. In the blink of an eye, his yellowish-brown skin rapidly transformed into gold, becoming a pair of golden arms with a metallic sheen. He struck at Thunderclap Palm Xiao Yunzhong with one palm and, with the other hand, grabbed at the saber strike Lin Xiao unleashed.