"The leeks are almost fat enough, harvest time isn't far away."
Yang Cheng was in an excellent mood.
The Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron was a taboo in any world. Normally, when someone killed a beast, its life essence would scatter and return to heaven and earth. That was part of the natural cycle.
But the Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron was different. It devoured even the life essence. This destroyed the world's energy cycle and threatened its stability and growth.
That was why the Heaven-Breaking Realm God was hunted down by all the Realm Gods of the Soaring Cloud Ancient Domain. It was the world's own corrective force at work.
And now Yang Xiu, the so-called Heaven's Mandate Child, was using the Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron to do something harmful to heaven and earth.
It was laughable.
Like a crown prince digging at his own kingdom's foundation instead of protecting it. Any emperor with such a son would despise him. In the same way, Yang Xiu, the so-called Heaven's Mandate Child, would sooner or later be cast aside by the will of this world.
Rumble!
The heavens and earth suddenly trembled.
Yang Cheng knew—Qingqiu Secret Realm was about to close.
Sure enough, after only ten breaths, the space around them twisted, and everyone was pulled out of the Qingqiu Secret Realm.
The elders of Luofu Mountain, Bian'an Divine Sect, Wheel-Turning Sect, and the deputy master of Xuan Yuan Temple all frowned.
They had been waiting a long time, yet their sect's geniuses never came out.
"Honored seniors."
Yang Xiu stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "You don't need to wait anymore. Zhang Qingyang, Nangong Yi, Mo Jialan, and Zhao Shouyi have all been slain by Yang Cheng."
Clearly, he was deliberately pushing hatred onto Yang Cheng. If these sect leaders lost their minds and struck Yang Cheng down on the spot, it would be the best outcome for him.
"What did you say?"
"You dare insult my Wheel-Turning Sect's holy son?"
"Shut your mouth! Zhang Qingyang was Luofu Mountain's number one prodigy. His true cultivation had already reached Martial Emperor. How could Yang Cheng possibly kill him?"
The sect elders all erupted, cursing Yang Xiu in fury. None of them believed his words.
Yang Xiu stayed calm. "If you don't believe me, you can ask anyone else here."
That one line made their hearts tighten. The elders quickly turned to other cultivators for confirmation.
But those from the other factions all hesitated and dodged the question. None dared answer. They didn't want to offend Yang Cheng or the Great Zhou.
In that instant, the elders' hearts sank into despair. Could it really be true?
Just then, Yang Cheng and his group appeared.
"Your Highness Crown Prince of Great Zhou," the deputy master of Xuan Yuan Temple spoke first, "your sixth brother just claimed that you killed my temple's Zhao Shouyi. Is this true?"
"There's such a thing?"
Yang Cheng widened his eyes in feigned surprise. "Sixth Brother, how shameless can you be? You killed Zhao Shouyi yourself and now try to dump the blame on me?"
"You… you… utterly shameless!"
Yang Xiu froze. He truly hadn't expected Yang Cheng to spout something so shameless with such a straight face.
But it worked.
The elders of Xuan Yuan Temple and the other sects immediately wavered. Their eyes turned suspicious, even hostile, toward Yang Xiu.
"That's the hairpin of my Wheel-Turning Sect's holy son!"
A Wheel-Turning Sect elder suddenly pointed at Zheng Guanbao's head in shock.
"You're mistaken!"
Zheng Guanbao flustered and quickly stuffed the hairpin away.
But the others soon made similar discoveries.
Tang Xingyu had Zhang Qingyang's jade pendant at her waist. Lin Shu wore Zhao Shouyi's Void Realm Ring on her finger. Shen Muxue idly toyed with Nangong Yi's dagger in her hand…
The Qingqiu Secret Realm had closed too suddenly. They hadn't had time to hide their spoils.
Even Yang Cheng himself was still wearing Mo Jialan's Wheel-Turning prayer bead bracelet.
At this moment, everyone realized the mistake. Like Zheng Guanbao, they hurried to stash away their trophies.
"You dare deny it, Crown Prince of Great Zhou?!"
The Wheel-Turning Sect elder's eyes were bloodshot.
Yang Cheng looked a little embarrassed, then calmly changed his tune. "Truly, your eyes are sharp as lightning. Yes, it was indeed done by me and Sixth Brother together. Without his cooperation, how could I have achieved such results?"
Yang Xiu, who just a moment ago had been inwardly pleased to see Yang Cheng exposed, nearly exploded in rage. "Yang Cheng, you're rotten to the core!"
"Yang Cheng, hand over your life for killing my Luofu Mountain's true disciple!"
The elder of Luofu Mountain's breathing grew heavy, eyes filled with murderous intent.
But before he could act—
"Oh? I'd like to see who dares lay a finger on the Crown Prince of Great Zhou, here in the lands of Great Zhou."
A cold laugh rang out.
A tall, heroic young man rode forward on horseback, his aura surging.
"Marquis Champion of Great Zhou."
"Yun Jinghuai!"
The leaders of the sects all showed clear dread in their eyes.
The Luofu Mountain elder spat bitterly, "Yun Jinghuai, your crown prince killed my sect's true disciple. Shouldn't you give my Luofu Mountain an explanation?"
"An explanation?"
Yun Jinghuai sneered. "Your Luofu Mountain disciples trespassed into my Great Zhou without permission. That alone is already a grave crime."
"The crown prince killed in the secret realm, which is only natural. But even if he killed your so-called true disciple outside, so what?"
"If you keep flapping your mouth, I'll kill you here myself and see if your sect master dares question me."
"You…"
The elder of Luofu Mountain trembled with fury, unable to get a word out.
The elders of Wheel-Turning Sect, Bian'an Divine Sect, and the deputy master of Xuan Yuan Temple all exchanged glances.
They could clearly see the fear for Yun Jinghuai in each other's eyes—but also their unwillingness.
The disciples they had sent into the Qingqiu Secret Realm were all peerless geniuses of their factions. Mo Jialan and the others had been raised as future successors.
Now so many of them had died by Yang Cheng's hand. How could they possibly swallow such humiliation?
In that moment, they seemed to make a decision.
Buzz!
From the Wheel-Turning Sect, a protector—second in strength only to the elders—suddenly lunged toward Yang Cheng.
Yun Jinghuai's eyes turned cold.
But just then, the four great powers—Luofu Mountain's elder, the Wheel-Turning Sect elder, the Bian'an Divine Sect elder, and the deputy master of Xuan Yuan Temple—released their true energy all at once, suppressing Yun Jinghuai together.
All four of them were peak Martial Saints.
United, they pinned Yun Jinghuai down instantly.
In that brief opening, the Wheel-Turning Sect protector closed in on Yang Cheng.
His cultivation erupted—it was Martial Emperor seventh level!
Many who resented Yang Cheng couldn't help but show delight.
A seventh-level Martial Emperor, a high-ranked powerhouse. There was no way Yang Cheng could withstand that.
But just as the man closed the gap, three figures leapt out at once.
Tang Xingyu, Shen Muxue, and Lin Shu struck together, blocking the oncoming protector.
"Courting death."
The Wheel-Turning Sect protector's face twisted in cruelty, ready to crush the three women in a single move.
Boom!
In the next instant, their clash exploded.
In the blink of an eye, the three women were all blasted back, sent flying through the air.