Chapter 152 - Genius Schmenius, Kill Him First!
Elemental Scripture! This was the very foundation of the Grand Temple's faith and its cornerstone.
Using this spell, Yun Xiao first slew the exchange student from the Demon Continent, then annihilated Mu Tianshi's son. Yet, afterwards, he humbly labeled the spell as crude and asked if this qualified him a place in the Grand Temple! Each word was like a dagger to the heart!
After obliterating a man and four demons, Yun Xiao still dared to taunt?
"He's audacious, but he's a goner for sure now!" Many Grand Temple students started seeing Yun Xiao in a new light. Apart from shock and astonishment, they also couldn't help but become anxious for him.
That was because the so-called scholarly faction controlled by the Mu Clan and Ye Royal Family was no charitable institution. Beneath those elegant robes lay deadly weapons!
BOOM! In a split second, several magic treasures surrounded Yun Xiao. Pearls, seals, cauldrons, and stones—all for attack and suppression! Dozens of spells whistled from above, around, and below, with elements of wind, fire, earth, water, thunder, frost, and ice, leaving spectators dazzled! The daoists present didn't waste words—they acted!
"To think that hiding behind the Grand Temple's entrance examination as a pretext for murder means he won't be directly annihilated? Naive!"
"Genius scheminus, kill him first! Talk later!"
"He killed Mu Tianshi's son!"
After Ye Xingchen was defeated in a duel to the death, Mu Tianshi was powerless. But now, seeing his beloved son killed right under his nose, he let out a heart-wrenching cry. His eyes split with fury as he pointed a finger. A beam of white light shot towards Yun Xiao's forehead, piercing through the void!
"Die!"
All deadly spells!
"Huh?" This was somewhat unexpected for Yun Xiao. "I thought you folks would pretend to be righteous and keep holding back," he remarked with a smirk. Facing this overwhelming onslaught, he didn't even blink. And why would he? With the Divine Dawn Empress by his side and an ace up his sleeve, wasn't an attack on him an attack on Chen Xi too?
These countless spells and magic treasures were indiscriminate!
As the killing intent approached in a flash, countless Grand Temple students cried out in alarm. But in that fleeting moment, white thunder dragons surged around Yun Xiao and Chen Xi, intertwining to form a sphere of lightning dragons, encapsulating the duo within!
BOOM BOOM BOOM! A barrage of magic treasures struck the lightning sphere. They either exploded on impact or were deflected, with several of the daoists spitting up blood. All the other spells were swallowed whole by the lightning.
The beam of white light from Mu Tianshi managed to shatter the protective sphere, but it exhausted all his magic power in the process. Amidst the aftershock, Yun Xiao and Chen Xi were jolted backward. The handsome young man and the beautiful woman's hair and robes danced wildly in the aftermath.
Chen Xi reached out, embracing Yun Xiao by the waist. With fierce assertiveness, she asked, "You alright?"
"Totally." Yun Xiao coughed, prying away her hand, trying to salvage his dignity.
The crowd was in a state of disbelief. A dozen daoists, including Mu Tianshi, tried to assassinate Yun Xiao, only for their combined might to be effortlessly negated by one person's daoist spell. Who could possibly possess such power?
All eyes turned to the entrance, filled with anticipation and apprehension.
Three figures strode into the hall, the clink of their boots resonating with authority. At their lead was a man in white tiger armor, imposing and emanating a domineering aura. It was none other than the Supreme Marshal of the Nine Heavens Immortal Army, Chen Xiao.
To his left was a man in a violet robe, exuding an air of wisdom. He was the honored guest of the Spirit Treasure Palace and Great Dao Pavilion Master, Zhao Xuanjan.
On Chen Xiao's right was a woman in deep blue official robes, her long hair neatly tied up. Her eyes, cold and sharp, matched the intensity of the two men beside her. Yun Xiao had been introduced to her at the wedding. This was Qi Lan, a Minister of one of the Six Immortal Divisions. The only woman in such a position and renowned for her extraordinary talents.
Qi Lan was the Minister of War. She oversaw the recruitment, logistics, resources, and so on of the Immortal Empire's army. She was essentially the woman behind the Supreme Marshal. Not in a romantic sense, of course. Though, her presence indicated a close relationship with Chen Clan.
Given the status of these three, each of them deserved as much respect as Mu Tianshi. The students quickly bowed, saying, "We greet the Supreme Marshal, Master Zhao, and Madam Qi."
Protocol dictated that Mu Tianshi and his entourage should step down to welcome these guests. But they didn't. It was clear; the two groups were like oil and water.
The lightning shield surrounding Yun Xiao and Chen Xi hadn't, in fact, come from Chen Xi herself—it was the doing of the Supreme Marshal! This meant one thing. The Supreme Marshal and Mu Tianshi had already clashed.
THUD! The Supreme Marshal, with his imposing presence, stepped between his daughter and son-in-law. His heavy iron boots crushed the azure tiles of the Grand Temple, causing tremors that reached the highest seats.
As the ground cracked beneath them, the daoists of the Grand Temple had no choice but to leap to their feet, their seats of honor pulverized in an instant.
BOOM! Both Mu Tianshi and Li Shishi's prestigious seats were shattered into fine powder. Landing gracefully, they shot cold glares in the direction of the intruder.
“Supreme Marshal, you sure know how to make an entrance!" Li Shishi proclaimed with disdain. "Breaking into the sacred Grand Temple, disrespecting our ancestors, and flaunting your power with such disregard! You're nothing short of a menace."
The Supreme Marshal nonchalantly spat on the ground and sneered, “Why should you care, monkey butt? This Grand Temple seems to have more demons than deities, more posers than actual scholars" His words were, ironically, apt.
“Chen Xiao!” Mu Tianshi growled, veins pulsating at his fingertips. "As the Immortal Empire's Supreme Marshal, you've abandoned all propriety and wreaked havoc. I shall report your actions to the Empress."
"Go ahead. All you ever do is whine. If you're so righteous, why not come down and face me now?" the Supreme Marshal jeered.
Taking a deep breath, Mu Tianshi retorted, "This is a place of sanctity, where those of us with education and purity reside. We cannot stoop to the brutish level of a barbarian like you."
"Really? Even after your son's death, you still stand here spouting nonsense?" The Supreme Marshal clapped sarcastically. After a hearty laugh, his expression turned icy. "So, you scholars and posers up in your high temple look down upon us, the soldiers who shed blood and risk our lives for the Immortal Empire?"
"Watch your tongue! My issue is with you and only you," Mu Tianshi shot back coldly, then turned to Yun Xiao. "And you! Killing people openly during the Grand Temple's entrance examination? You've broken the laws of the Immortal Empire!"
"I didn't kill any people, did I?" Yun Xiao blinked, genuinely puzzled. "Does a demon count as a person?"
"There was indeed a human among the dead," Chen Xi confirmed.
"What?" Yun Xiao's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I must've misjudged. But can you blame me? If you hang around with demons, you're bound to reek of their miasma. From afar, I thought it was just another demon!"
The Supreme Marshal's brazen comments were one thing. But these two young ones acting all innocent and playing dumb after a murder had the Mu Clan and Ye Royal Family members seething in silent rage.
"Mu Tianshi!" The Supreme Marshal's eyes narrowed, a frosty smile forming on his lips. "You sent five Perfect Demon Meridian Realm demons during a simple entrance examination to try and kill my son-in-law, hoping to avenge your own son-in-law's death. Everyone can see right through your devious plots. If you've now bitten off more than you can chew, that's on you. It's karma, and you can't escape it."
Mu Tianshi's face twisted, his eyes bloodshot with fury.
As for Mu Lingyi, she lay beside her brother's hole-riddled body, a figure of pure sorrow.
Mu Tianshi exchanged glances with Li Shishi.
"Are you about to tell my clan to watch our backs during the War of Immortals? That the winds in the Heavenly Realm are strong and we might just get blown away?" The Supreme Marshal chuckled darkly, then, gesturing grandly, announced, "I came today to formally notify you all. As of today, my Chen Clan withdraws from the Grand Temple Academy and the War of Immortals."
The whole room was abuzz.
"Supreme Marshal..." Mu Tianshi began coldly, "Training in the Grand Temple is a tradition of the Immortal Empire. Are you openly opposing the Divine Dawn Empress? Is your clan planning a rebellion?"
"Rebellion, my foot!" The Supreme Marshal laughed scornfully. "This Grand Temple of the Immortal Empire has become nothing but a private property for your Mu Clan and Ye Royal Family. You've pocketed all the resources and wealth under the guise of tradition. You feed yourselves and give mere crumbs to clans like mine. You leave nothing for the other hopefuls, ensuring your own offspring rise to prominence. And you dare call this a sacred place?"
Pointing at the corpse of Mu Tianshi's son, the Supreme Marshal chuckled. "That spoiled pig of a son you fattened up? He's not even comparable to the mortal I picked for a son-in-law. Tell me, what value does the Grand Temple hold? From the age of ten, members of my clan will train in my Nine Heavens Immortal Army, slaying demons and evil in the lower realms. It's far more honorable than your petty politics and pointless poetry debates."
The moment those words left his lips, the face of Mu Tianshi turned a deep shade of black— so black, one might've thought he'd been dipped in ink.
There were certain truths that, when left unsaid, everyone could maintain a semblance of dignity. But when aired in front of a large audience, well, they tended to make things... awkward.
Many of the students at the Grand Temple were not of the Mu Clan or Ye Royal Family. These students, backed by the fortunes and aspirations of their families, had paid heavily for the privilege to study at the academy, hoping to someday stand out amongst their peers. Despite their best efforts, though, opportunities seemed scarce for them within its hallowed halls.
On the other hand, students of the Mu Clan, Ye Royal Family, and even the Han Clan seemingly soared to great heights with ease, creating a yawning gap between them and their peers. Once, the general consensus had been envy, attributing their success to the resources of their powerful families. But now, if the Supreme Marshal's words were anything to go by, it seemed that the treasures of the Immortal Empire’s treasury meant for all young cultivators were being monopolized by a select few. And it appeared that even the foreign demon exchange students lived lives of luxury...
Whispers filled the air as everyone exchanged glances, their faces painted with confusion and frustration.
In the midst of the stifling silence, Mu Tianshi, his face void of emotion, stated, "Supreme Marshal, it seems you are desperately trying to sully the name of the Grand Temple with baseless accusations. Your actions today are clear for all to see. With the War of Immortals looming, you seek to divide and disrupt the unity of the Immortal Empire for your own personal gain. Such actions are criminal... The Grand Temple will report this! Go back to your Chen Heavenly Mansion and await the edict from the Divine Dawn Empress."
"And what if the Empress does not issue one?" the Supreme Marshal retorted with a cold smirk.
"The Chen Clan is a major family of the Heavenly Realm, and your actions are subject to the oversight of the Ancestral Temple. They too have the right to judge you. Without evidence, it simply proves you seek to tarnish the reputation of the Grand Temple and eliminate any opposition. Prepare yourself for a cell."
The Supreme Marshal let out a sarcastic laugh. "The Ancestral Temple? Aren’t they also surnamed Ye? Their future star, Ye Xingchen, met his end at my Chen Heavenly Mansion, emerging only to be laid in a coffin. Do you really think they don't want me dead? Tsk tsk tsk..."
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