Chapter 174: What Kind of Script Is He Playing This Time?
"Whew—!"
After the Saint departed, Feng Lie was the first to let out a long breath. His chest heaved violently, lingering fear on his face as he muttered,
"That Saint was terrifying… even more terrifying than the one from our Yin-Yang Holy Land!"
Feng Lie held a high status in the Yin-Yang Holy Land, had he been a bit younger, he might have been eligible to compete for the position of Yin-Yang Holy Son.
It was through this status that he had once, from afar, caught a glimpse of the Saint from his sect.
Just that one glance had become the most glorious memory of his life.
But now, thinking back, the Saint from Yin-Yang Holy Land paled in comparison to the one that appeared just now.
A mere external avatar had exerted such oppressive pressure on all of them—it was clear this Saint wasn't just at the early Saint stage.
He might even be beyond a Five-Tribulation Saint.
"That Saint seemed to come for the Champion Marquis," said the Holy Son of Heavenly Heart, frowning, "but why didn't he take action?"
It didn't make sense.
There had definitely been a trace of killing intent from the Saint earlier—although faint. Yet at the last moment, he withdrew all hostility and only took away the Champion Marquis's corpse.
"There might have been another Saint nearby," someone suggested.
After all, if the death of the Champion Marquis could draw out a Saint of the Great Chu Dynasty, then Li Xun, whose talent surpassed even that of the marquis, might naturally attract a Saint from Profound Sun Holy Land as well.
It was very possible that a Saint from Profound Sun Holy Land had already been nearby the whole time.
Because the Great Chu Saint had only sent an external avatar. Even if his original self was stronger than Profound Sun Holy Land, a mere external avatar could never defeat a true Saint.
Rather than disgrace himself by being overpowered, it made sense to just take the corpse and leave.
"Saints are showing up now?"
Li Xun stood atop a massive boulder, cracks spreading beneath his feet. He looked up at the now-empty sky, unease rising in his heart.
The waters of the Great Chu Dynasty ran deeper than he had anticipated.
Ever since arriving, he had met Yang Yi and then Chu Lingyue, both of whom, in some ways, seemed to carry "main character templates."
If there were protagonists, then wouldn't there also be antagonist templates?
From Li Xun's perspective, Champion Marquis might have been an early-stage mini-boss character, set up as a stepping stone for either Yang Yi or Chu Lingyue, yet he had killed him early.
If Champion Marquis was just a low-tier villain, then what sort of script were Yang Yi's father or Chu Lingyue's father following?
After all, Yang Yi's father was the famous Duke of Yang of the Great Chu, someone who's renowned across the empire.
He had slain a Half-Saint while still only at the peak of the Divine Palace Realm. A Half-Saint could summon the tribulation to become a true Saint at any time.
To kill one, your speed had to be incredible, you had to strike before the tribulation descended.
From that alone, Duke of Yang was likely already qualified to become a Saint.
Moreover, the last time the Duke of Yang made a move was a hundred years ago, during the destruction of the Great Bright Monastery.
No one knew how powerful he had become over the past century. For all they knew, he might have already passed the Saint Tribulation in secret somewhere.
Then there was the Emperor of Great Chu...
Li Xun glanced down at the Champion Marquis's storage ring in his hand, his heart growing heavier.
The blood essence stones in Champion Marquis's possession—could they have been gifted by the Emperor?
Of course, it was possible that Champion Marquis had obtained them elsewhere.
If that was the case, fine.
But if they were given by the Emperor himself, then the stance of the entire Great Chu Dynasty would come into serious question.
After all, in this current age, blood essence stones have nearly gone extinct.
Yet the Great Chu seemed to have so many they could grant them freely to marquises?
That was simply incredible.
"If the Great Chu Dynasty really is connected to the Otherworldly Demon..."
"Then it's true power may be far more terrifying than it appears."
"They must have a much grander scheme hidden in the shadows!"
A chill crept through Li Xun's heart.
He had a vague feeling that if Yang Yi and the others continued to grow stronger, the final major antagonist they might one day face… could very well be the Emperor of the Great Chu Dynasty.
However, that was something he couldn't yet confirm.
"I wonder if Qin Xueyi knows any secrets about this. I should ask her about it later," Li Xun thought to himself.
With that, he swept his gaze across the other young prodigies present, didn't linger, and directly summoned his Golden Divine Chariot. Stepping aboard, he flew off toward the ruins of the Great Bright Monastery.
If the Great Chu Dynasty were just an ordinary imperial faction, he wouldn't care.
But now, after realizing that the Great Chu was far from simple, lingering here any longer would be unwise.
The top priority now was to obtain the Indestructible Golden Body and leave as quickly as possible—that was the truly wise move.
As they watched Li Xun leave, Feng Lie and the others finally let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Had I known the Profound Sun Holy Land was this terrifying, I never would've set foot in the Great Chu Dynasty," grumbled a genius from the Spirit Race.
They had nearly provoked an enemy they could never hope to defeat—a chilling thought for anyone.
"Tell me about it," Feng Lie nodded and added, "At this point, is there even anyone in the world who can still fight Li Xun on equal terms?"
"Not necessarily."
The Spirit genius expression shifted as if he had suddenly remembered something.
"Among my Spirit race, the Golden Crow Clan has sent two crown princes into the mortal world. They're also in the Life and Death Realm, and they might be able to fight Li Xun."
"Heh."
Feng Lie responded with a faint smirk, clearly unimpressed.
"Last I heard, those two Golden Crow princes were chasing down a crippled boy. Isn't that true?"
"And that so-called cripple is only at the peak of the Divine Power Realm, hasn't even crossed the Life and Death Tribulation yet."
The Golden Crow Clan, long known as royalty within the Spirit race, had once ruled over all the Spirit Clans during ancient times.
Wherever their will reached, countless Spirits bowed in submission.
Though their glory had faded with time, the Golden Crow Clan remained a titanic force.
Two of their crown princes had recently descended into the world, stirring great attention from many major powers.
But to everyone's surprise, those two princes had already suffered setbacks at the hands of a cripple.
Feng Lie's mocking tone was clear to everyone present:
Compared to Li Xun, the Golden Crow princes were not in the same league.
After all, Li Xun had slain the Champion Marquis—a true Divine Body owner who had survived nine lightning calamities tribulation—and done so with ease.
That was no "cripple."
And the idea of Li Xun getting outplayed by an actual cripple?
Not even worth considering.
"This is an age of rising heroes," said the Spirit cultivator, his tone deep.
"Sooner or later, the Profound Sun Holy Land Li Xun and the Golden Crow princes will clash. When that happens… we'll see who's truly stronger."
With that, he transformed into a streak of light, vanishing into the sky.
They had originally come to assist the Champion Marquis—but now that he was dead, there was no reason to stay.
As the Spirit cultivator left, the remaining young prodigies exchanged glances, and one by one, returned to their respective sects.
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