Chapter 70: Shocking the Entire Audience

Facing each other, Han Yu snapped his fingers and drew a chair from his spatial storage, sitting down with perfect composure.

To those watching, this was the height of contempt.

“Will you come at me together, or one by one?”

Han Yu was no longer the timid youth he once was. A month under Xia Jiuxuan’s tutelage had left him with a trace of his mentor’s arrogance.

“You arrogant bookworm, you think you’re worthy of all of us attacking you at once?”

The eight of them seethed with hatred at Han Yu’s insolence. Yet, in their eyes, he was already a dead man. Why waste anger on a corpse?

“Let me do it! Remember my name in the underworld, bookworm: it’s Yao Xingyu who ends your life.”

A youth in embroidered robes stepped forward, wielding a spear adorned with dragon motifs.

“Are we starting?” Han Yu mimicked Xia Jiuxuan’s cold smirk before a kill.

“Begin! You make the first move!” Yao Xingyu was supremely confident. At sixteen, he’d reached the seventh level of the Palace Entry realm and mastered his clan’s secret arts. How could a mere scholar insult him?

“I’ll go first? I think perhaps—”

Clang!

Han Yu feigned hesitation, but before he finished, a scroll of yellow paper appeared. His brush moved with blinding speed, painting a sword of death.

Whoosh!

A golden sword shadow shot forth, piercing straight through Yao Xingyu’s skull.

“What sorcery is this?”

“How did that golden sword appear?”

“Yao Xingyu was the academy’s pride—how could he fall so easily?”

The crowd erupted in shock and terror. The golden sword had emerged so mysteriously that none understood what had happened.

On the dueling platform, the remaining seven were struck with fear.

“You coward! You ambushed Yao Xingyu!” Luo Fei pointed at Han Yu in fury.

“Fool, all’s fair in war,” Han Yu sneered.

“Still making excuses? You’re beneath me; I refuse to fight and withdraw from this challenge!”

With that, Luo Fei turned and fled the stage, moving with astonishing speed. His heart pounded with anxiety as he activated a secret communication stone, calling for Director Lu to come save him.

Seeing Luo Fei flee, the other six panicked.

“Despicable! To fight you would bring me shame. I concede and take my leave!”

“Hmph! I, Ye Wu, look down on you and won’t stain my hands. Farewell!”

One after another, the six attempted to escape.

“Trying to run?”

Han Yu leapt into the air, unfurling a scroll of yellow paper and inscribing an array with a flourish.

“What’s happening?”

“Who’s suppressing me?”

“I can’t move!”

They were instantly trapped by an invisible formation. In a heartbeat, thousands of flaming spirit arrows coalesced above.

Whoosh—whoosh—

The rain of fire arrows poured down like a storm.

“Damn it, what kind of sorcery is this?”

One disciple from the Court of Ten Thousand Laws, whose spiritual power was formidable, broke free and fled using wind magic. Glancing back at the arrow storm, his heart nearly burst in terror.

“Brother Wu, save us!” the others screamed desperately after him.

“Save yourselves!” he shouted back, fleeing even faster. With such terrifying magic, only a teacher could intervene.

Screams of agony echoed above. Blood rained down as the victims were pierced through, their bodies left in tatters.

At the moment of their deaths, a wild voice thundered across the field:

“Beast! You court death!”

Boom—boom—

The whole Taixuan Academy shook as mighty auras descended, blanketing the arena and suffocating the disciples present.

Bang!

A gigantic palm print crashed down on Han Yu.

“You killed my disciple—now die!”

The attacker was none other than a director of the academy, a peak Sealed Spirit realm master.

Sensing the murderous intent, Han Yu’s face went pale, paralyzed by fear.

“Han Yu, invoke the Righteous Sky Ward!” Xia Jiuxuan shouted from below.

Han Yu snapped back to his senses and summoned a golden shield with his will.

Crash!

The palm landed, scattering golden light and shattering the dueling platform. Dust billowed, obscuring all within.

“You little wretch, who gave you the courage to kill my beloved disciple? You’ve signed your own death warrant!”

A figure in azure robes landed at the edge of the ruined stage, roaring with hatred.

Clang!

Suddenly, a wave of lethal intent surged behind him. Without hesitation, he activated his peak Sealed Spirit aura for protection.

Bang!

An explosion sent him hurtling through the air.

Whoosh!

A black shadow flashed, overtaking him, a barrage of black sword energy raining down. The body crashed into the ground, driving deep beneath the earth.

“What just happened…”

All eyes turned to the pit before them. There stood Xia Jiuxuan, wielding a broken black sword, murderous intent surging about him like a god of slaughter.

“Director Xia has intervened!”

“He knocked Director Chen Xian into the earth!”

“My heavens, when did Director Xia become so powerful?”

“Incredible…”

No one could believe it—Director Xia revealed a strength beyond imagination.

“Who dares ambush me?”

Rumble!

The ground trembled as a figure burst forth, covered in dust and blood—the battered Director Chen Xian.

The other directors landed around Xia Jiuxuan, stunned into silence.

Director Chen Xian had been struck down by Xia Jiuxuan? When did he become so fearsome?

“It’s you?” When Chen Xian recognized Xia Jiuxuan, a tempest of disbelief rose within him. That terrifying sword intent had come from this young man?

“Tell me, are you tired of living, daring to strike at my disciple Han Yu?”

To everyone’s astonishment, surrounded by the directors, Xia Jiuxuan still leveled his sword at Chen Xian.

Only three days earlier, he had done the same to the Third Prince—who had been so frightened he lost control of his bladder.

“To be so bold in this life—isn’t that what being a man is about?”

“If only I had Director Xia’s spirit—it’s like dreaming.”

“Ha! You wouldn’t dare, even in your dreams!”

Nearly every young disciple gazed at Xia Jiuxuan with envy and admiration. What youth doesn’t yearn for courage and fiery spirit?

Faced with Xia Jiuxuan’s furious accusation, Director Chen Xian was for a moment at a loss, questioning even himself: Why should I fear this mere upstart?

He could not fathom the answer.

“Teacher, I’m alive! Teacher, save me…”

As the dust settled, Han Yu’s cry for help came from the ruins.

“If you’re alive, get out here! Stop whining like a woman!” Xia Jiuxuan shouted coldly.

Rubble flew as the battered Han Yu staggered out.

“He survived? How could he survive my attack?”

Chen Xian stared, as if seeing a ghost.

“Hmph, old dog, if not for the armor my teacher made, I’d be dead already!”

Han Yu pulled black fragments from his tattered clothes—the armor Xia Jiuxuan had crafted for him from the hide of a Black Armored Beast. It was exceptionally tough, and combined with Han Yu’s Righteous Sky Ward, it had saved his life.

The atmosphere was frozen.

“I asked you a question—where did you find the nerve to try killing my disciple?”

Xia Jiuxuan’s shout boomed.

Chen Xian steadied himself, his face dark. “Han Yu killed my disciple first—why shouldn’t I kill him?”

Xia Jiuxuan’s eyes were icy. “Nonsense. Life-and-death duels are governed by clear rules. Don’t pretend you don’t know them!”

Chen Xian faltered, then said, “I wasn’t aware the duel was to the death. Besides, I was only punishing the murderer, not killing him. Who dares object?”

Every disciple present thought to themselves how shameless Chen Xian was—first he tried and failed to kill Han Yu, now he called it a mere punishment?

Utterly shameless.

“Argue all you like!” Xia Jiuxuan pointed at Chen Xian, then turned to Han Yu. “In the upcoming grand tournament, leave no corpses whole—understand?”

Though wounded, Han Yu couldn’t back down now.

“Don’t worry, Teacher. Unless my head falls, I’ll turn their world upside down.”

“Good.” Xia Jiuxuan clapped his shoulder and handed him a healing pill, which Han Yu swallowed. Xia Jiuxuan used his spiritual power to help the pill take effect, accelerating Han Yu’s recovery.

The other directors looked grim. Their earlier confidence had vanished. Han Yu’s power—enough to challenge the Profound Realm—meant their own top disciples might not prevail.

“At last, everyone is here.”

Jiang Qingyang, who had been observing, flew above the crowd.

“Director, all are present,” someone replied.

Jiang nodded. “Begin preparations for the grand tournament.”

“Yes, Director.” The directors bowed.

“What’s the rush?” Xia Jiuxuan lifted his head, meeting Jiang’s gaze. “My disciple Han Yu’s life-and-death challenge isn’t finished. What’s the hurry?”

“Xia Jiuxuan! What more do you want? Your disciple has already killed six—are you not satisfied? Are you trying to start a rebellion?” a director shouted.

“Rules are rules—there were eight challengers, two remain. If this challenge isn’t completed, my Celestial Secrets Institute will not participate,” Xia Jiuxuan replied.

Hearing this, Luo Fei and Wu Bin, the two who had fled, hid behind their teachers trembling.

“Teacher, save me!”

“Please, Teacher, don’t let me go to my death!”

They pleaded desperately.

“What now? Breaking the rules?” Xia Jiuxuan sneered. “Fine! I have little skill and am at your mercy. Han Yu, we’re leaving.”

He turned, Han Yu and the others following.

Seeing this, Jiang Qingyang’s face darkened; Xia Jiuxuan had invoked the academy’s regulations, leaving him no recourse.

“Director! Why hesitate? Forget the rules—just give the word, and we’ll kill Xia Jiuxuan together!” Chen Xian whispered at Jiang’s side.

“Yes, Director, if you let this chance slip, more trouble will come!”

“Director, give the order—I can’t stand that brat any longer!”

Jiang’s expression was cold as he scanned the area with his spiritual sense, searching for Su Hongde’s presence.

But Su Hongde was nowhere to be found.

“Very well! When we strike, give it your all—lest the will of Taixuan descend and something go wrong.”

At last, Jiang Qingyang made up his mind. He would kill Xia Jiuxuan in a single, decisive blow.