The faces of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion managers turned pale.
The one speaking was none other than Elder Wang Xiao, the External Hall Master of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion. None of the managers had expected that the man before them could influence not only the Main Guanxuan Academy but also the Immortal Treasures Pavilion.
Just who was he?
Wang Yue looked up at "Zong Wu" in the distance, and his expression became more serious than ever. "Who are you?"
To interfere with both the Guanxuan Academy and the Immortal Treasures Pavilion, "Zong Wu" had to be from a formidable clan or organization.
"Zong Wu" smirked coldly. "My identity doesn't matter. What matters is that I can crush you any time I want. Got it?"
Wang Yue's face twisted—half in fear and half in disbelief. He hadn't expected that a single message from this man could make an elder from the External Hall issue such an order.
"Zong Wu" chuckled again. "Actually, you're not even worth crushing. Now get lost—understand?"
"Like hell, I'm scared!"
At that moment, Zhou Yu stepped forward. "So what if his backing reaches the heavens? Let's fight and get it over with."Wang Yue glanced at Ye Guan, ready to say something, but just then, another message entered his mind through his transmission, too quiet for anyone else to hear.
Wang Yue's eyes widened in shock, and he stared at "Zong Wu" in disbelief. "We're leaving," he ordered, turning away.
The sudden retreat stunned everyone present.
Zhou Yu shouted, "Wang Yue!"
Wang Yue paused, turned back to Zhou Yu, and transmitted. "That man can't possibly be the Academy Master. If he were, these people would know. Zhou Yu, turn back now. There's still time."
Zhou Yu stared at Wang Yue and replied, "Do you know who they are?"
Wang Yue nodded, his face tense.
Zhou Yu took a deep breath. "Who are they?"
After a moment's hesitation, Wang Yue whispered the truth.
Zhou Yu's eyes went wide. "How is that even possible?"
Wang Yue cast a deep look at Ye Guan in the distance and turned to Zhou Yu. "If he were truly the Academy Master, they would know, wouldn't they?"
With that, he and the Immortal Treasures Pavilion managers left.
Zhou Yu's expression darkened as he turned to look at Ye Guan. Suspicion gnawed at him.
Wang Yue was correct. If Ye Guan were the Academy Master, they'd surely know. If he weren't the Academy Master, then this would be a hopeless situation, and they had no chance of winning at all.
In the end, Zhou Yu's expression twisted as he exclaimed, "I know you're strong, but so what?!"
"You think you can cover the heavens with one hand?!" Zhou Yu roared at "Zong Wu." In the end, he had decided to stand with the Sword Sect. He knew there was no way to retreat at this point. Turning back would only earn him the wrath of both sides. Since he was going to choose anyway, why not choose to fight?
He had been living a life full of schemes, so why not stand for what was right just this once?
Zhou Yu's outburst made Liu Zhong laugh mockingly. "Zhou Yu, you're so pitiful."
Zhou Yu pointed at Liu Zhong and hurled a steady stream of insults at him.
The crowd was rendered speechless.
"Enough!"
Liu Zhong's face flushed with anger. "You… how dare you…"
As a dignified general manager of the Qingzhou Immortal Treasures Pavilion, Liu Zhong could not bring himself to hurl such vulgar words back at Zhou Yu.
However, Zhou Yu responded with more insults.
Liu Zhong was so furious that he found it hard to breathe.
Just then, "Zong Wu" turned to Ye Guan and smiled coldly. "I have to admit, your calmness surprises me. Tell me, what gives you such confidence?"
Ye Guan looked at "Zong Wu" and replied, "I want to see whether you can really cover the heavens with one hand."
"Pfft!"
"Zong Wu" laughed. "I get it. You're waiting for someone from the Main Guanxuan Academy or Sword Sect to back you up. But let me tell you—no one can save you."
Ye Guan calmly replied, "Is that so?"
"Zong Wu" smiled mockingly. "I bet your backers aren't ordinary, and since even we can't track them down, they must be quite formidable. Why don't you call them here and show us what they've got?"
Ye Guan stared at him and said, "Are you worthy?"
Zong Wu stopped smiling and stared at Ye Guan with narrowed eyes. "I hope your stubbornness holds up."
Just then, the mysterious black-clad figures around him moved to attack.
"Stop!" A booming voice echoed from the distant sky.
A spacetime rift manifested, and a lady emerged from it, followed by ten cultivators in golden armor.
Yue Qi and Zhou Yu sighed in relief upon seeing her.
She was Ye Guanzhi, and she was from the Guanxuan Committee.
Seeing Ye Guanzhi, "Zong Wu" merely smiled without a word.
Zhou Yu and the Sword Sect disciples quickly saluted her. "Envoy Ye."
Ye Guanzhi nodded slightly. "No need for formalities."
Zhou Yu turned to Zhu Qiu and shouted, "How dare you not salute the Envoy?! Are you rebelling?!"
Ye Guanzhi's gaze fixed on Zhu Qiu, who hesitated before bowing reluctantly. "Greetings, Envoy Ye."
Ye Guanzhi's eyes turned cold as she asked, "Who gave you the authority to lockdown Qingzhou?"
At her words, Zhu Qiu's face turned pale, and he dared not speak.
Ye Guanzhi's gaze sharpened. "Arrest him."
The Guanxuan Guards behind her moved to respond to her order, but "Zong Wu" sniggered and said, "Envoy Ye, we're acting under orders from the External Committee. What wrong have we done?"
Ye Guanzhi's eyes narrowed. "And who are you to speak to me?"
"Zong Wu's" gaze hardened. "Oh? Is my status still not enough to speak with the Envoy?"
Ye Guanzhi's gaze darkened. "Arrest them."
At her command, the Guanxuan Guards behind her vanished into thin air.
However, "Zong Wu's" allies stepped in, blocking the Guanxuan Guards' path.
The crowd held their breath. Were they actually blocking the Main Academy's Guanxuan Guards?
Ye Guanzhi's gaze turned icy. "Are you defying us?"
"Zong Wu" chuckled. "Of course not, Envoy Ye. While you're indeed an Envoy of the Guanxuan Committee, you're bound by the Guanxuan Laws. We've done nothing wrong. Why are you arresting us?"
Ye Guanzhi replied, "I suspect cheating in the Wanzhou Martial Contest—an attempt to manipulate the results. Are you the mastermind behind it?"
"You have any evidence?" "Zong Wu" laughed and said, "If you have none, that's slander. Shall I sue you back?"
The crowd gasped. He was going head-to-head with an Envoy?
Even Yue Qi was stunned. Ye Guanzhi represented the Guanxuan Committee, one of the most powerful groups in this universe region.
How dare they!
The Guanxuan Guards radiated intense killing intent. Defying Ye Guanzhi meant defying them.
The leader of the Guanxuan Guards turned to Ye Guanzhi and saluted. "Envoy Ye, allow us to subdue him immediately."
"Who do you think you are?"
"Zong Wu" sneered. "Fang Chen, you're just a low-ranking commander. Do you really think that you can throw your weight around here just because you can be considered barely an ant?"
The leader of the Guanxuan Guards was shocked. "Who… are you?"
He couldn't believe that "Zong Wu" knew his name.
Ye Guanzhi's voice was like ice. "Do you know what you're doing here?"
"Zong Wu" smiled coolly. "I know exactly what I'm doing. We're here under orders to apprehend Ye Yang. Now it's my turn to ask you a question—are you here on the Guanxuan Committee's official orders, or are you here on your own volition?
"If it's official, then show us the Guanxuan Committee's seal. If it's personal, then kindly step aside. Interfering will only cause unnecessary trouble between both of us."
The implied meaning behind "Zong Wu's" words was unmistakable.
The crowd was stunned. He was threatening an Envoy?
"Outrageous!"
Fang Chen shouted, "How dare you speak to an Envoy like this? Arrest him!"
The nine guards behind him vanished and clashed with the twenty mysterious black-clad figures from "Zong Wu's" side.
A stunning battle erupted, and it left the crowd reeling in shock.
They were actually fighting the Guanxuan Guards! This was a rebellion!
Ye Guanzhi opened her palm, and a transmission talisman appeared, but a strange force suddenly locked onto her.
"Zong Wu" eyed her. "Envoy Ye, there's no need to alarm the Guanxuan Committee over such a small matter. It would be unfortunate if you got hurt in the process. Don't you agree?"
Ye Guanzhi's gaze narrowed. "Is that a threat?"
"Zong Wu" replied calmly, "Interpret it however you like."
Gasps filled the crowd.
A direct threat to an Envoy?
"Zong Wu" ignored the furious Ye Guanzhi and turned to Ye Guan. "It doesn't matter even if the Academy Master comes here, you're still going to die today!"
"Zong Wu" waved his hand and shouted, "Send this Young Master Ye on his way to the afterlife. Anyone who dares to interfere will join him; my clan will bear all the consequences!"
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter