Chapter 157 - Forfeiting Still Means Death!
"The Dragon Rank challenge has begun. How can it be stopped now?" The Supreme Marshal chuckled coldly, suddenly soaring into the sky! With a sweeping gesture, a vast net of thunderous lightning shot up, sealing the entrance of the Scholar Temple. Instantly, the door was sealed shut. Those trying to offer assistance were effectively barred!
"Hilarious! Calling so many for support, all because they're afraid you'll go mad if your daughter dies. And yet they posture and pretend to be high and mighty, watching the battle. Isn't this just asking for trouble?" Zhao Xuanjian couldn't help but laugh. Then, summoning a violet mist, he laid the second layer of sealing magic on the Scholar Temple's door!
Without hesitation, Qi Lan formed a hand sign, conjuring a barrier as vast as the sea, wrapping the entire Scholar Temple!
The Scholar Temple, with its ancient formations and depictions of past sages floating and illuminating the Grand Temple, was the symbol of faith in the Heavenly Realm!
Of course, people like Mu Tianshi couldn't just break out of the Scholar Temple. Even if they wanted to, it might not be possible. For a moment, this place of honor became their prison! Their only option was to break the door!
BOOM BOOM BOOM! Dozens of daoist spells and magic treasures blasted at the three layers of barriers outside the Scholar Temple! They were numerous and powerful, and of course, they could break through, but it would take some time! Especially since the likes of Ape Saint and Lady Hua Lian hadn't even made their move yet... The question was, would Chen Xi give them that time?
As soon as Mu Tianshi rose, Chen Xi had set her sights on Mu Lingyi, sending serpents of electricity from the sky to attack her!
"Chen Xi! Stop it! We forfeit!" Mu Lingyi's face turned pale as she retreated, deploying her own spells in defense.
"Forfeit or not, you're still dead!" Chen Xi's voice boomed like thunder. Her eyes, ablaze with fire and lightning, and her face wrapped in electric threads showed no emotion.
"You are heartlessly cruel! If we die, who will fight for the Immortal Empire? This internal strife will be our downfall!" Ye Shengyin roared, summoning the Imperial Seal to aid him! The seal clashed with Chen Xi's Molten Sun Hammer!
BOOM! Although Chen Xi managed to send Ye Shengyin flying, several cracks appeared on her Molten Sun Hammer, revealing the formidable strength of the Galaxy grade treasure!
"Internal strife will bring down the Empire? You overestimate yourselves. I alone am enough to fight for the Immortal Empire!" With this brazen declaration, the girl in the white dress again sent shockwaves through the crowd.
BOOM! Though her Molten Sun Hammer had been damaged, Chen Xi didn’t stop. She launched herself toward Mu Lingyi.
In terror, Mu Lingyi summoned her magic power, unleashing a Galaxy grade daoist spell, Thousand Birds and Spearfish. Thousands of birds and fish, like a barrage of arrows in the sky, blasted toward Chen Xi!
"You prattle on about the dangers of internal strife, but when I set a trap, you’re all too eager to jump in and kill me. Looks like the moral high ground belongs to your Mu Clan!" Chen Xi laughed coldly. Her Thunderstrike Axe cleaved down, decimating the barrage of birds and fish in its path.
"You evil little girl! Stop!" Mu Tianshi and Ye Qingli had just emerged from the Scholar Temple, their voices shaking with fury.
"Stop? Over my dead body!" With a swing of her axe, Chen Xi decapitated Mu Lingyi. The beauty's eyes widened in shock, her life snuffed out in an instant.
"NO!" In just one day, both their son and daughter had died before their eyes. Both Mu Tianshi and Ye Qingli spat out mouthfuls of blood. The couple wailed in anguish, their grief echoing across the field.
A hushed silence fell over the audience. The countless students of the Grand Temple had never seen the usually revered and knowledgeable Grand Temple Dean so out of sorts.
Everyone knew that with Mu Lingyi's death, the direct bloodline of the Mu Clan of the Grand Temple had suffered a significant blow. But of course, the battle was not over. Despite their grief and rage, Mu Tianshi and the other teachers rushed down, trying to break the sealing formation and rescue Ye Shengyin.
However, this sealing formation was designed to keep the Supreme Marshal at bay, so naturally, it was of a high grade.
Booms echoed as various magic treasures and daoist spells rained down on the barrier. Inside the formation, Chen Xi, abandoning her shattered Molten Sun Hammer and holding only her Thunderstrike Axe, turned her attention to Ye Shengyin.
Seeing so many people rushing to his aid, Ye Shengyin's confidence soared. He chanted a set of syllables and made a hand seal.
Daoist Spell, Profound Heaven Barrier!
A golden shield enveloped him, shimmering with a protective glow
Then Ye Shengyin took out a small book and chanted again.
Daoist Spell, Azure Sky Fire Dragon!
From the pages emerged a fierce, crimson dragon, entwining itself around Ye Shengyin, eyes filled with fury fixed on Chen Xi.
BOOM! Catching the Imperial Seal, enveloped by two formidable defensive spells, Ye Shengyin retreated a step, his frosty eyes still locked on Chen Xi. He shouted with fervor, "Your brutality and callousness towards your own race have angered many! Your father's indulgence makes him complicit in your crimes. Your Chen Clan's transgressions today will surely draw the wrath of the Immortal Empire!"
Chen Xi chuckled coldly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you truly think your Ye Family still holds royal stature? That you're still the crown prince of the Immortal Empire? You presume to judge the sins of my Chen Clan?"
While Chen Xi laughed, a storm of rage brewed inside her. Dragging her Thunderstrike Axe, she sent a shower of sparks skittering across the platform. Simultaneously, her other hand formed a seal, releasing a flurry of thunderous serpents from her fingers.
Daoist Spell, Ultimate Thunder!
Dark clouds amassed overhead as a massive white lightning bolt crashed down.
"Shengyin, hold on!" Ye Qingli screamed, seeing the impending doom.
BOOM! The fearsome bolt struck the Azure Sky Fire Dragon, pulverizing it instantly, and then sent shockwaves through the Profound Heaven Barrier. Crackling and booming echoed. Ye Shengyin's face paled, and he was forced to his knees.
"Imperial Seal!" With both hands, Ye Shengyin raised the seal, channeling its immense power to resist the onslaught.
Chen Xi sneered. "Fool, just because you were given a shiny toy, you really think you can stop me?" With both hands gripping the Thunderstrike Axe, she brought it down with all her might.
BOOM! The axe struck the Imperial Seal. Its blade exploded instantly. The Nebula grade treasure worth several hundred million Spirit Stones was destroyed just like that. However, the immense force from her hands still bore down on the Imperial Seal, causing the thunder to resonate.
BOOM BOOM BOOM! The Imperial Seal was crushed beneath her power.
SNAP SNAP! Both of Ye Shengyin's legs shattered in an instant. "No!" His face twisted in agony as the bones in both his hands shattered, no longer able to support the weight of the Imperial Seal.
BAM! Chen Xi's delicate hand tapped the seal. It descended like a mountain, crashing atop Ye Shengyin's head.
"AHHH...!" With a heart-wrenching scream, Ye Shengyin was flattened into a bloody pulp.
THUD! The Imperial Seal, now stained with the blood of the former crown prince of the Immortal Empire, stamped the emblem of the Ye Royal Family onto the Star Scholar Platform.
Chen Xi's white dress danced in the breeze as she gracefully descended. With every eye frozen on her, she gently clapped her hands, her soft voice tinged with amusement. "An imperial stamp on the platform, sealed with blood. Seems quite fitting for the lot of you." She giggled.
The entire Star Scholar Platform fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Each student, hair standing on end, sat perfectly still, each more obedient than the last, afraid that this fearsome little girl might glance their way.
"This... this... this!" Many were trembling, unable to articulate their shock. Defeating and slaying was one thing. But raw, brutal force and dominance, that truly struck fear into their hearts!
Outside the barrier, the powerful members of the Ye Royal Family and Mu Clan, who had metaphorically shot themselves in the foot, watched in horror as Ye Shengyin was crushed to death by his family's own ancestral seal. Their already taut nerves snapped.
Mu Tianshi, Ye Qingli, and others felt as if they were struck by lightning, floating like kites with broken strings.
CRACK! The barrier finally shattered. And in that split second, a bolt of lightning wrapped around Chen Xi, yanking her out. The one who intervened was none other than the Supreme Marshal. He bowed to Mu Tianshi and the others, a stern expression on his face. "The prodigies of your three clans are indeed formidable. My daughter nearly lost, fighting five of them at once."
"She even lost two Nebula grade treasures!" Zhao Xuanjian lamented.
Gazing around, Qi Lan solemnly remarked, "At least no one's hurt."
The students of the Grand Temple stared blankly, their lips sealed.
The Supreme Marshal, with a playful smirk, nudged, "Mu Tianshi, why so quiet? We agreed on a fair duel, right? You folks went ahead and broke the sealing formation, fine. But surely you're not thinking of refusing to accept the results?"
The representatives of the Ye Royal Family, Mu Clan, and Han Clan grimaced, fists clenched tight.
"No words, then? How candid!" The Supreme Marshal laughed. "Thanks to the Grand Temple. When you have a moment, could you kindly place my daughter's name at the top of the Dragon Ranking? We'll be preparing a celebration. Farewell for now."
With a hearty laugh, the Supreme Marshal grabbed his daughter with one hand and Yun Xiao with the other. In a flash of thunder, they soared skyward, vanishing in the blink of an eye. No one moved to stop them. No one dared to.
Mu Tianshi had gathered everyone, hoping that after Chen Xi's defeat, they could restrain a raging Supreme Marshal. But now, it was his Ye Royal Family, Mu Clan, and Han Clan whose children were killed in fair combat. Their moral high ground lost, and they weren't one for confrontations. So, all they could do was glare venomously as the Supreme Marshal and his group departed triumphantly.
"SCRAM!" Mu Tianshi suddenly roared, veins popping on his neck.
The tens of thousands of Grand Temple students hesitated for a moment. Realizing the gravity of the situation, they scurried away like a swarm of bees, leaving behind only the senior members of the Ye Royal Family, Mu Clan, and Han Clan and a few demons who had come to enjoy the show.
Silence. Absolute stillness. It lasted until Han Jingli collapsed to the ground, his cries of sorrow echoing. And boy, they were truly heartrending.
About fifteen minutes later, two figures descended from the heavens, landing on the platform. One of them, an old man, was the Grand Temple Sage. He was Mu Tianshi's father, the previous dean of the Grand Temple, and one of the most revered figures in the Immortal Empire. He had already received the news. With a heavy heart, the old man knelt, bowing deeply, tears streaming from his eyes.
The age-old adage came to life. The elderly sending off the young. Except this time, he was sending off more than one. Such sorrow was palpable, almost tangible in its intensity. The onlookers remained silent, their words stuck in their throats, hearts heavy.
Accompanying the old man was a middle-aged man draped in a golden dragon robe. His gaze settled on the stained Imperial Seal, once a symbol of imperial succession, now smeared with gore. Despite the gruesome scene, his long beard remained still, and his visage was unchanged.
"Your Majesty!" Ye Qingli knelt softly before him, tears streaming.
"Those lost will not return," the golden-robed man whispered.
"Your Highness!" The old man turned, kneeling before the man, his face a canvas of bloodied tears.
"We shouldn't use titles recklessly," the golden-robed man advised.
"Understood!" The old man dabbed away his tears with a swift brush of his sleeve, then inquired, "Shall the plan continue?"
"Indeed." The man nodded, lifting the Imperial Seal and, with a mere flicker of power, cleared it of the bloody remnants. He tucked it away.
"What plan?" Han Jingli blinked in confusion.
"I'll explain," Mu Tianshi rallied, his face a grim mask as he approached Han Jingli. "Our Immortal Empire now faces an immature ruler, with wicked beings commanding our armies and sowing chaos throughout the Heavenly Realm!"
"And what do you propose?" Han Jingli realized that with this question, his clan would be officially drawn into this tangled web.
Mu Tianshi's gaze was resolute. He declared, "If the corrupt cannot be contained, we are duty-bound by the heavens to purge them from the ruler's side!"
"To cleanse the ruler's side!" Han Jingli exclaimed, casting a resentful glance in the direction of the Supreme Marshal's departure.
Meanwhile, Ye Qingli snapped out of her grief, asking, "Brother, weren't you and the Grand Temple Sage supposed to greet the Peacock? Where is he?"
The eyes of the golden-robed man turned cold as he responded, "He never showed up."
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