In this era, heroes were adored, especially celebrity heroes who had a bunch of passionate fans. Hence, it was not uncommon to see professional heroes being surrounded by a horde of commoners. However, they shouldered heavy responsibilities. They needed to rescue areas that had been struck by calamities, nab criminals, fight astral beasts and destroy calamity fiends. They even needed to fight on the front lines and protect the human world.
If cases of encirclement resulted in a hero being injured or affected mentally, it was in a certain sense, harming all of humanity. Therefore, there were strict restrictions on this matter. Fans could pursue their idols but they could not be rabid. It was even part of a law—People are not to enter a five-meter radius when surrounding and watching a hero. If not, it would be deemed an act of violence. Not only was it punishable by law, the hero could also engage in self-defense.
At that moment, the people rushing at Shi Xiaobai came to a sudden halt when they reached the five-meter mark. The people behind did not dare shove and push, afraid they would violate the law or anger Shi Xiaobai.
Seeing the crowd stop five meters away from him, Shi Xiaobai was slightly relieved. However, the feeling of being surrounded by all these people still made him feel discomfort.
Shi Xiaobai asked with furrowed brows, "Why are all of you surrounding This King?"
However, his voice was instantly drowned by the questions from the eager crowd!
"Shi Xiaobai, may I know how you managed to conquer eight Level Lords?"
"What sort of trial is there on the eighth level? Why did Overlord Ji Feng, Sword Immortal Xu Taibai, and the Conquest King claim that no human can clear the eighth level? Yet, you managed to clear it? How did you manage to clear it?"
"Shi Xiaobai, can you elaborate on your experiences on the ninth level? Perhaps, you can tell us some of the opportunities you encountered in the Nine Revolutions Transcendental Tower?"
"Hello, I'm a reporter from Donglin News Agency. I wonder if you can spare some time for a relevant interview? It will definitely not be a waste of your time. Please!"
—Those were the bombardment of the reporters from the various news agencies.
"Shi Xiaobai, our Thor organization has always valued talent. If you are willing to join Thor, Thunder Emperor Zhang Qi is willing to guide you personally!"
"Come to Poseidon. His Excellency Poseidon has said that there's a great chance of you becoming the next successor of the 'Poseidon Trident'. Furthermore, he will definitely nurture you by giving you the most favorable resources."
"Don't listen to them. Shi Xiaobai, join Muses. There is no lack of talented and beautiful girls in Muses. There will bound to be someone you like! Well, if you like an older sister like me, it's not like I'll reject…"
"Pui! Don't think of robbing the cradle! Shi Xiaobai, if you were to join Darkness, there will be no lack of opportunities to gain the favor of the sacred girl. There will also be a bunch of young girls willing to be chosen by you. Even…Even the 'Darkness Destructive Mantra' will be directly taught to you. You have to know that the 'Darkness Destructive Mantra' is one of the top among the only seven S-class cultivation techniques that China has!"
—Those were the members of the organizations' upper echelons trying their best to poach Shi Xiaobai.
"Ahem, I have been seeking defeat for decades and have never taken in a disciple before. You can be my only personal disciple."
"Shi Xiaobai, join Shaolin temple! Reverend Miserysea is willing to take you in as a direct disciple, teaching you the 'Sinew-Transformation Canon', 'Diamond Demon Vanquishing Divine Technique', and 'Diamond Dhyana Lion Roar'!"
"Shi Xiaobai, it is said that you are proficient in the way of the sword. I have been given the title of 'Sword Ancestor'. In a few days, I will be challenging the old God of Swords, Jian Xilai for the spot of 'God of Swords'. If you were to become my disciple, there will be hope of you becoming a God of Swords in the future!"
—Those were a bunch of famous senior heroes that had come to recruit him as a disciple.
"Ahhhh! Shi Xiaobai, do you have a girlfriend?"
—Those were the rabid female fans.
"Ahhhh! Shi Xiaobai, do you have a boyfriend?"
—Those were the homosexuals that were fishing in muddied waters.
"Ahhhh! Shi Xiaobai, are you a virgin!?"
—Those were the sick and perverse…female fans and homosexuals.
Thousands of voices, if not more, boomed at the same time. They mixed into an indecipherable din and it felt was soul-crushing.
With so many voices mixed together, Shi Xiaobai could not discern what was said. He could at best vaguely make out what the people closest to him had said. However, he only managed to catch a few words. There was no way for him to decipher the full sentence.
Shi Xiaobai was left dumbstruck. He found the din intolerable!
Against such a situation, Shi Xiaobai prepared to use his usual tactic.
Shi Xiaobai shook his head helplessly as he genuflected slightly. He clenched his fist and aimed it down. Psionic power began gathering and compressing on his arm as his fist moved down at a speed slower than one millimeter per second.
Turtle-speed Divine Punch!
By gathering the strength for twenty minutes and smashing the ground to smithereens, he didn't believe the irritating people would not quieten down!
Shi Xiaobai focused and gathered strength while ignoring the crowd. However, the passion the surrounding crowd had wasn't extinguished so easily. Seeing Shi Xiaobai act 'aloof', they turned for the worse.
Five minutes passed as Shi Xiaobai's astounding punch was a quarter done. He was feeling somewhat regretful, for five minutes would have been sufficient. The din was about to deafen him.
At that moment, the golden lines on the ground that formed the nexus suddenly lit up and emitted a resplendent glow!
Shi Xiaobai retracted his Turtle-speed Divine Punch in shock.
"What happened?"
Everyone was also alarmed as they looked down at the ground.
The golden lines were rapidly beginning to crack and disappear at a visible rate!
At the same time, the ground began to tremble. Black gases that left people apprehensive began spewing out of the cracking golden lines.
"Ah!"
Timid girls could not help but scream as the situation immediately turned chaotic. No one had the mind to surround Shi Xiaobai as they turned to escape the vicinity of the nexus. However, with so many people crowded inside the nexus, it was not that simple to evacuate. Instantly, there was a stampede.
"Ah! Sob…"
There were people who cried out of shock, afraid that the phenomenon was a calamity and that they would die there and then.
The situation was in utter chaos.
"Silence!"
Suddenly, a repressive voice resounded through the area, drowning out everyone's voices!
An azure figure that resembled a mountain suddenly appeared outside the nexus. It was a blurry figure and its features could not be discerned. However, it was humanoid in shape and was about ten floors tall. It stood under the heavens and emitted a redoubtable aura.
"Azure Emperor Jiang Tianyou!"
A few well-read and famous heroes instantly recognized the massive azure figure. It was Jiang Tianyou's 'Azure Emperor Phantom' which was one of his famous divine techniques.
The chaotic crowd quietened down because of the phantom as the massive azure figure struck terror in the hearts but it also made them relieved. It was a dilemma that left them unable to make a single sound.
Jiang Tianyou suddenly spoke and said in a solemn fashion, like the gong from an ancient monastery. "A calamity is approaching, cooperate and evacuate!"
A calamity is approaching, cooperate and evacuate.
This was a phrase that was common throughout the world. In this world that needed heroes, calamities were abundant. It might be a terrorist attack or a criminal faction acting wantonly. It could be the arrival of a meteor shower or calamity fiends crossing through rifts. Whenever a calamity happened, other than saving the situation, heroes also had an extremely important task, that was to help the evacuation of the victims of the calamity.
No one knew when or where a calamity would happen. It was unknown if it would happen in a situation with a crowd.
Therefore, the mindset of being orderly and helping each other, so as to prevent a stampede was educated to the masses from a young age. It was also a necessary life-saving measure commoners had to learn.
Therefore, when Jiang Tianyou mentioned 'a calamity is approaching, cooperate and evacuate', the panicking crowd immediately calmed down. They began to evacuate in an orderly fashion. There was no shoving or stampeding. People cooperated with each other and formed lines. It was safe and quick, as though they were well-trained and disciplined soldiers.
Outside the nexus, a hunchbacked elder with white brows looked at the golden lines that were constantly cracking and vanishing. His brows were deeply furrowed and his expression was ugly.
Yang Weiwei, who was standing by the side while watching the evacuating crowd, had a worried look. She was feeling nervous as she could not help but ask, "Grandpa, what exactly is happening? Why did it suddenly…"
Jiang Tianyou sighed. "The Nine Revolutions Transcendental Tower is…collapsing."
"Ah?"
Yang Weiwei exclaimed with a look of disbelief.
It was common for lands of trials to collapse. However, the Nine Revolutions Transcendental Tower was China's only land of trials that ranked in the top eight in the world. It was an important trial for people at the Psionic Mortal Realm. If it were to collapse, it would result in great repercussions that could not be underestimated.
Jiang Tianyou sighed again. This old man that had his mind on the country and cared for the people was having a heavy heart.
Suddenly, Jiang Tianyou's pupils constricted slightly as his expression changed drastically.
He vaguely saw a figure suddenly charge out from the collapsing golden light. Although it was an instant, the figure had already opened up a distance from the area. But that instant was enough for Jiang Tianyou to vaguely discern the figure's appearance.
Dressed in a colorful gown with snake hair reaching to her waist, it was a woman with gorgeous looks and seductive figure.
More importantly, her cultivation level was unfathomable.
"Perhaps…"
Jiang Tianyou muttered to himself in an inaudible manner, "Perhaps…another monster has come into this world."
…
…
Shanghai City, Downtown region.
Shi Xiaobai came out of a dark alley while covering his face.
With the sudden calamity, he had used Crab Steps as fast as he could to escape the sights of the crowd. Next, he ran haphazardly and entered the alleys, finally evading the passionate horde.
However, Shi Xiaobai was completely unaware where he was.
But that did not matter. Although he didn't know where he was, as long as he knew his destination, he would definitely not get lost!
It was because Shi Xiaobai had a unique way of finding his way.
Shi Xiaobai came to the downtown area with his face covered and reached out his hand to grab the arm of a woman in red who happened to walk pass.
The woman in red turned her head in astonishment.
With Shi Xiaobai covering his face with his hand, he asked in a deep tone, "Where is Speechless Li's house?"
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