novelraw Chapter 109
Chapter 109
Chapter 109
Xia Pingyi…the Second Elder of the White Spirit Sect…appeared. Although he held the title of Second Elder, his cultivation proved the most formidable among all the elders present.
He had reached the sixth layer of the Yuanhai realm…the top-tier powerhouse on the scene. The moment he arrived, the faces of the surrounding sect elders changed drastically. They had not expected Xia Pingyi to come in person. They had heard that he was in seclusion, preparing to break through to the seventh layer of Yuanhai. Yet the news of his beloved disciple Bai Tianhong’s death had forced him out of seclusion and straight to the Purple Moon Secret Realm, revealing the ferocity of his rage.
In midair, Xia Pingyi fixed his gaze on Gu Yang and sensed the cultivation aura on him. His expression tightened. Peak tenth layer of Ningzhen!? Impossible! How could Tianhong fall to someone at Ningzhen? Doubt flashed through his mind, but he dismissed it quickly. No matter, better to kill the wrong man than miss the guilty one.
With that thought, the terrifying aura unique to the Yuanhai realm erupted from him. Invisible ripples rolled outward, releasing an overwhelmingly oppressive pressure.
rumble
The pressure hit. Li Tianming, standing beside Gu Yang, collapsed to his knees, cold sweat beading on his forehead as his whole body trembled. Gu Yang, however, stood tall and met Xia Pingyi’s stare.
“Hmm?” Xia Pingyi’s pupils contracted. This fellow actually resisted my pressure? Could Tianhong really have been killed by him? Rage flared. He extended his hand and unleashed a terrifying surge of true primordial energy.
“You dare kill my disciple…die!” he roared.
The true energy shot skyward and coalesced into a massive true-energy hand that lunged straight for Gu Yang, sweeping the air as if it sucked the surrounding atmosphere dry.
Gu Yang’s brow tightened. With a sharp motion, he drew his mid-grade spirit sword from its sheath and gripped it. His true qi exploded outward. The sect elders around them watched in surprise but held back; they remained spectators. Seeing Gu Yang face a sixth-layer Yuanhai powerhouse without retreat…and even brandish his sword…shocked them. A few elders nodded slightly, admiring his courage, but none would intervene on his behalf.
“Hmph. Mere stubborn resistance,” the Fist Demon sneered, recalling how Gu Yang had once beaten him. He ground his teeth and laughed coldly, “Relax, Gu Yang. You’re as good as dead.”
Beside the Fist Demon, the Collapse-Fist Sect elder smiled thinly. He had learned of the feud between the Fist Demon and Gu Yang and felt no sympathy for Gu Yang.
As the giant true-energy hand neared, Gu Yang’s eyes hardened. He prepared to unleash his strongest move. After all, this opponent was not a Baoyuan-peak cultivator but a superlative sixth-layer Yuanhai expert. Even his best technique might not wound him…but Gu Yang would not retreat. He still held his greatest trump card unused.
Just as everyone expected Xia Pingyi’s hand to seize Gu Yang, a clear, urgent voice rang out.
“Stop at once!”
Everyone turned in confusion. The caller was none other than Chu’s Seventh Princess…Chu Ling’er. She had sprinted forward, shouting in alarm when she saw Xia Pingyi move against Gu Yang.
“Who’s that girl?” someone muttered. “Wait…look at her dress… could she be the Seventh Princess?”
“The royal family’s getting involved? Now this gets interesting.”
They guessed her identity and watched with renewed curiosity. Xia Pingyi heard her cry but ignored it…who was she to command him? His eyes brimmed with killing intent.
Gu Yang heard Chu Ling’er but did not turn; he kept his gaze fixed on the true-energy giant hand inches away. He raised his mid-grade spirit sword; terrifying sword intent swelled, ready to erupt.
At that moment, another overwhelmingly powerful aura slammed into the scene, followed by a voice full of imperial authority.
“Heh, Elder Xia, you make war on my territory…does the White Spirit Sect mean to challenge the dignity of Chu?”
A monstrous surge of true primordial energy appeared and struck Xia Pingyi’s outstretched true-energy hand.
boom
The true-energy hand shattered. Pressure on Gu Yang dropped sharply. Li Tianming, who had lain pinned and gasping, finally exhaled and rolled on the ground, drenched in sweat. Xia Pingyi’s face changed instantly. He turned to look. Not far off, beside Chu Ling’er, stood a middle-aged man in a dark-gold dragon robe…the Chu Emperor himself.
“The Chu Emperor!?” Xia Pingyi’s expression soured. He had intended to kill Gu Yang with overwhelming force to avenge Bai Tianhong. He had rushed here precisely because he feared the royal family might interfere. Yet he had still arrived too late. This complication troubled him.
“Emperor,” Xia Pingyi said, glaring, “this Gu Yang slew my disciple Bai Tianhong. I will kill him today…will you stop me?” His tone carried a threat. Although the Emperor’s strength rivaled his own, the White Spirit Sect backed Xia Pingyi; their power only trailed the imperial house by a margin. If he allied with other forces, he believed he could stand against the throne. He showed no intention of backing down.
Normally, such words would force the Emperor to avoid direct conflict with the White Spirit Sect. But today’s situation proved exceptional. The Chu Emperor smiled faintly and spoke calmly, “Xia Pingyi, I have said before: within the Purple Moon Secret Realm, life and death do not concern the outside world. Your disciple Bai Tianhong entered the realm and failed to kill; he was slain because his skill fell short…he deserved his fate.”
He continued, voice sharpening, “Now the victor Gu Yang has just emerged and you would pursue him…are you not slapping my face?”
“You do not regard me; do you think I dare not go to war with the White Spirit Sect?”
At the last words, the Emperor’s expression turned fierce. His sharp eyes fixed on Xia Pingyi, and imperial majesty burst forth without restraint. The onlookers inhaled sharply.
The Chu Emperor would risk war with the White Spirit Sect for Gu Yang? Could Gu Yang truly command such favor?