Chapter 128 - God of the Nine Heavens, Resplendent in Celestial Might!
"Greetings?" Yun Xiao raised an eyebrow.
Chen Xuan continued his salutation, his eyes flashing gold as he inquired, "Exactly! Might I ask the esteemed identities of your households?"
Yun Xiao understood. These Grand Temple teachers weren't here for pleasantries; it was courtesy first, conflict later.
In the ways of the Immortals, one gauged the background before making a move.
No matter how powerful one was, no one wanted to mistakenly kill and invite undue trouble. The Immortal Dao was no different from the Jianghu, and those from the Jianghu were crafty indeed.
Yun Xiao's parents were mere mortals, so he had no answer to that!
Chen Xi's chilling gaze met the assembly of Grand Temple teachers. "Chen Xuan, a year has passed, and now you don't even recognize my father? The Supreme Marshal of the Nine Heavens Immortal Army, does that not give you a pause?"
Supreme Marshal of the Nine Heavens Immortal Army?
On hearing this, the expressions of the gathered prodigies changed to a mix of awe and respect. "No wonder she's so arrogant! Such an illustrious lineage..."
As Chen Xi's words faded, the complexions of several Grand Temple teachers took a drastic shift.
"The Sorceress of the Chen Clan, is that you?" Chen Xuan's eyes widened in surprise and anger. "After being expelled from the Chen Clan and vanishing for a year, you went to the mortal realm?"
"Indeed. And?" Chen Xi smirked subtly.
"You dare return to the Heavenly Realm?" Chen Xuan spoke with a heavy voice, while the elderly daoist beside him dispersed, encircling the lady in the white robe.
"The Heavenly Realm is my home. Why wouldn't I return?" Chen Xi laughed softly, "Not only am I returning, but I also intend to participate in the War of Immortals. Impressed?"
Chen Xuan's face grew colder. He exchanged glances with the others before fixing a stern gaze on Chen Xi, declaring icily, "Since you've been expelled from the Chen Clan, don't think you can use your father's reputation to intimidate the Grand Temple. You're now nothing more than a piece of driftwood, and you dared to harm our students? It seems a year's absence hasn't made you reflect on your wrongs, but rather intensified them. So be it, the Grand Temple will act on behalf of the Chen Clan, and in the stead of your father, to punish you. We'll escort you back for discipline. If you resist, any consequence is on you."
"Again with this act?" Chen Xi's eyes flared with a fiery intensity, the mask resembling a white tiger emanating a chilling aura. "If you wish to kill, just say it. Why hide behind a facade and disgrace yourselves?"
"Silence!" Chen Xuan's gaze turned icy, and he shouted with a raised hand, "Summon the Mystic Azure Scroll'!"
"The Mystic Azure Scroll?" Hearing these words, every prodigy in the vicinity raised an eyebrow in alarm. This thing, well, it was a force to be reckoned with.
"Oh, Chen Xi thinks her fancy title will protect her? Adorable," someone remarked.
"These Grand Temple teachers aren't fooled so easily!"
And as they all watched with a mix of awe and dread, a grand tapestry soared from Chen Xuan's hands, unfurling above Chen Xi's head. Its depicted landscapes, rivers, and mountains seemed to materialize, exerting a force akin to a world's weight.
HUM! The several teachers of the Grand Temple activated their Wind Fire Tribulation Realm magic power, channeling it into the Mystic Azure Scroll.
BOOM BOOM BOOM! Yun Xiao suddenly felt the weight of a hundred thousand mountains pressing down upon him. His skin threatened to rip apart, and fresh lacerations appeared.
"You want to trap her, fine! But why include me?" Yun Xiao's eyes flashed, his frustration evident.
From the moment they boarded the celestial ship, other than scavenging some loot, he'd largely stayed out of the spotlight. But now? These teachers didn’t seem to care who he was; in their eyes, he was as good as dead.
"Once the Mystic Azure Scroll is out, if those two aren't dead, I'll forsake my last name!" a red-robed maiden from one of the Immortal Empire's territories remarked with a smirk. But no sooner had she finished laughing, her head burst open, her lifeless body dropping coldly to the ground.
Chen Xi glanced her way, deadpanning, "Better reincarnate quickly, then. Maybe choose a new surname next time." Without hesitation, she gently pulled Yun Xiao behind her. With her seemingly delicate frame, she seemed to bear the weight of the universe on her shoulders.
HUM! A massive surge of magic power erupted from within her.
"This girl... she's a bit too fierce!" Yun Xiao said, feeling the pressure lift off him. Clearly, she was taking on the full brunt of the attack from dozens of Grand Temple teachers.
"All these so-called enlightened scholars have become a nest of traitors to the Immortal Empire. If the heavens won't strike you down, I will," Chen Xi declared, her eyes intense and alight behind her mask. From them, countless violet lightning snakes sprang forth, electrifying her entire being.
The gentle maiden in the white dress was now a fierce, thundering force of nature.
"By the Nine Heavens, with celestial might, summon the Supreme Arcane Thunder. Execute!" Her red lips whispered the command. As she formed a seal with her slender fingers, tens of thousands of lightning snakes danced wildly over her delicate skin.
"It's the Extreme Thunder daoist spell!" Gasps of shock echoed through the heavens.
At that moment, the girl in the white dress resembled a massive ball of lightning, with thousands of electric snakes zipping around her. The skies darkened, blanketed by ominous clouds, casting the world into sudden darkness. The light of day was stolen, replaced by a fierce display of lightning.
The expressions of the dozens of Grand Temple teachers changed dramatically. They gazed at Chen Xi in disbelief, shouting, "Wait, let's talk this out!"
BOOM! Before their words even finished, a thick, violet lightning bolt, the size of a water barrel, descended from the darkened sky. In a split second, the bolt pierced through the Mystic Azure Scroll, reducing it to dust, then striking the very heads of those teachers.
The world seemed to hum with electric tension.
The astonished faces of those teachers vanished into thin air, pulverized and scattered between heaven and earth. The Grand Temple teachers, in the blink of an eye, met their end. An eerie silence prevailed.
As the dark clouds dissipated, and the electric snakes vanished, the girl in the white dress floated gracefully, reminiscent of a celestial blossom.
On the celestial ship, the gathered prodigies, all lowered their heads, retreating to the furthest corner, too intimidated to utter a word.
With just one daoist spell, Chen Xi had brought all to heel. The might of this young woman was truly awe-inspiring.
"Damn," Yun Xiao murmured, still reeling from the scene. Looking down at Blue Star, he asked, "What kind of incredible skill was that?"
"It's a daoist spell," Blue Star replied earnestly.
"Daoist spell? Like demon magic or sword techniques?" Yun Xiao questioned.
"Oh, come on! True cultivation is about practicing daoist spells. What you've been dabbling in with your sword techniques is just a derivative of the Sword Dao. The only advantage is its potency in individual attacks. The peak of cultivation lies in mastering true daoist spells!" Blue Star responded with a hint of disdain.
"Ah, now I get it!" Yun Xiao exclaimed, realization dawning on him. In Cloud Nation, most records of Immortals pertained to Sword Immortals, a peculiarity of their region.
He surmised that elsewhere, the image of an Immortal was more like Chen Xi, invoking vast powers with a mere thought, aided by celestial thunder, leaving a trail of awe in their wake.
"Sword techniques, daoist spells... none is strictly superior to the other. Daoist spells are akin to demon magic, and you can complement them with Sword Rings. Regardless of the technique, the ultimate goal is to defeat enemies. For Sword Cultivators, the best techniques are the deadly sword skills. Plainly put, Sword Cultivators focus on enhancing their attack, even though they may be lacking in defense. Traditional cultivators, on the other hand, learn a myriad of daoist spells, like moving mountains or summoning rain. They're adept in runes, alchemy, and formation techniques, ensuring a balanced approach in offense, defense, and speed," Blue Star elaborated.
"I see," Yun Xiao responded, nodding deeply.
"What exactly did you get?"
Yun Xiao narrowed his eyes, gazing at the nape of Chen Xi's neck. "The best defense is a good offense," he mused. "If I strike down the enemy first, I won't need to defend."
"What about the runes, alchemy, enchantments, and formations?" Blue Star asked.
"Why juggle all those side gigs? Isn't it a waste of time? Crafting a pill can take days, even months. Killing only takes an instant for me. I'll wait for others to finish their crafting, then take their treasures," Yun Xiao quipped.
Blue Star, clearly amused, replied, "Well, aren't you something!"
Yun Xiao shifted his attention to the fallen enemies. "Hold on, there are items dropped!" he exclaimed. Approaching Chen Xi, he asked, "If you're not going to pick them up, can I?"
"Most items from the Grand Temple are specially marked. If you use them, they might bring disaster upon you," Chen Xi warned calmly.
"I hope the next wave of enemies brings more treasures, then," Yun Xiao remarked. He quickly gathered up the dropped items. Without looking closely, he could tell he'd just made another fortune.
Blue Star, not missing a beat, said, "See, if you follow her, you'll get rich!"
Chen Xi, watching Yun Xiao's deft and audacious maneuvers, chuckled behind her icy facade. "You're quite the character. You have the appearance of an ethereal being, yet you act like a commoner from the marketplace, seeking treasures from those you've defeated. Don't you have any bigger aspirations?"
"Do aspirations pay?" Yun Xiao retorted, grinning.
"No, they don't," Chen Xi replied.
"So, what's the point of them?" Yun Xiao laughed.
"You really are a contradiction, aren't you?" Chen Xi mused. "You look gentle, yet your actions are fierce."
"And you? Delicate in appearance, yet so violent when provoked," Yun Xiao shot back.
"Am I that violent?" Chen Xi pouted. "Alright, I'll tone it down a bit."
"No need," Yun Xiao said with a wry smile. "You be violent, I'll get rich."
As the conversation trailed off, Chen Xi steered the celestial ship, pushing forward towards the golden Heavenly Realm. It was said that this celestial ship was the key to traverse the barriers between worlds, a crucial warship of the Immortal Empire.
Suddenly, Stray Dog, the burly youth with violet eyes, sidled up to Yun Xiao. "Bro," he whispered, "Forgive my bluntness, but have you been... kept?"
"Kept?" Yun Xiao blinked in confusion.
"You know, a sugar mama situation?" Stray Dog inquired, his face a mask of curiosity. "I mean no offense, just praising your looks. Honestly, with your appearance, you could be a top courtesan in the Heavenly Realm. You'd never have to leave the bed."
Yun Xiao was taken aback. Was he really that good-looking? Pulling out a mirror, he studied his reflection. "Well, you're right. I might never leave the bed."
"So, are you kept?" Stray Dog asked, a hint of envy in his eyes.
"Do you know her?" Yun Xiao whispered, not bothering to entertain the question.
"Of course, she's quite famous," Stray Dog replied.
"Tell me more," Yun Xiao urged.
"The Chen Clan is an ancient and powerful family in the Heavenly Realm, with prodigious individuals in every generation. They hold significant influence in all major institutions of the Immortal Empire. And her father? He's the Supreme Marshal of the Nine Heavens Immortal Army in the Immortal Empire—a real big shot in the Heavenly Realm."
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