Soon afterwards, Lin Xiao returned to Guest Peak with Bi Zhuang and Bi Yao.
Bi Yao still wanted to cling to Lin Xiao and refused to leave. Even though Lin Xiao politely turned her down several times, she insisted on staying in the building, but in the end Bi Zhuang dragged her away.
Once the two had left, Lin Xiao sat cross-legged in his room and resumed cultivation.
This time, he continued swallowing and refining human pills.
While Lin Xiao was in secluded cultivation, the outside world had already exploded. News that Lin Xiao had killed a ninth-level Martial Emperor elder-in-charge right at the entrance of a Ji family branch spread like wildfire, causing an uproar across the entire region.
A young man killing a ninth-level Martial Emperor at the Ji family’s doorstep and then escaping unscathed, this was explosive news. Heated discussions sprang up everywhere.
“Killing a ninth-level Martial Emperor right outside the Ji family gates and getting away cleanly? This story sounds completely unbelievable.”
“Of course it wasn’t a normal kill. I heard that when those people came out of the Domain of Evil, someone used a sealing light barrier that suppressed everyone’s cultivation to the first-level Martial Emperor realm, no matter how high it originally was. That youth called Lin Xiao took advantage of his superior combat strength and slaughtered the ninth-level Martial Emperor on the spot.”
“But Lin Xiao’s own cultivation couldn’t possibly have exceeded first-level Martial Emperor either. No matter how strong he is, how could he defeat a suppressed ninth-level Martial Emperor at the same realm?”
“I heard he isn’t even at the Martial Emperor realm, only eighth-level Martial Lord, and he has mid-grade sixth-rank spiritual power. He killed a ninth-level Martial Emperor using just those two kinds of strength.”
“Yuan-spirit dual cultivation is indeed terrifying, but with only those two realms, there’s no way he could kill a ninth-level Martial Emperor, right?”
“The truth is exactly that. Plenty of people were there at the time. That fellow’s strength is just that monstrous. He really is a freak!”
Discussions like this rang out in every corner and every sect. The moment people first heard the news, they were filled with shock and disbelief.
Only after the full details gradually spread did they finally accept it as fact.
Even then, it remained the hottest topic over tea and meals.
“People from Azure Dragon Sect and Sacred Heaven Sect also took action and killed quite a few from the Ji family on the spot. Things are about to get lively in Yang Province.”
“The Ji family can’t openly start a war with the two great sects. If they did, forces from other provinces would definitely seize the chance to strike. Even the Ji family would be threatened. Besides, whatever happened in the Domain of Evil is unclear. The Ji family people wanted to murder and rob first, attacking the two sects’ members. Them fighting back in self-defence is perfectly justifiable.”
“That’s true. If anyone is unlucky, it’s probably that Lin Xiao. He has no background at all, yet he personally killed a ninth-level Martial Emperor elder-in-charge of the Ji family. The Ji family will definitely use him to vent their anger and reassert their authority.”
“That Lin Xiao has fled. Nobody knows where he went. Hehe, it’s been ages since Yang Province had anything this exciting. It really takes me back to the uproar almost twenty years ago, when Dragon-Slaying Heaven slaughtered so many from the three great powers that they couldn’t hold their heads up.”
“Shh, don’t ever say that outside. If someone hears you, there’ll be big trouble.”
…people chatted excitedly around tea tables.
In just over half a month, the incident of someone killing their way to a Ji family branch gate and slaying a ninth-level Martial Emperor elder-in-charge had spread throughout the entire north-western area of Yang Province.
Azure Dragon Sect was naturally included.
Countless elders and disciples of Azure Dragon Sect were shocked. After all, the matter was also linked to Bi Zhuang.
However, apart from the nine peak masters, Bi Zhuang’s group, and the five disciples who had challenged Lin Xiao, nobody knew that the youth who had personally killed Ji Juan was hiding right inside Azure Dragon Sect.
During those half-plus months, Lin Xiao had remained in seclusion, hearing practically nothing of the outside world.
In that time, he refined another dozen or so human pills.
These pills ranged from low to high quality. His yuan power cultivation advanced further, and he was now only a hair’s breadth away from half-step Martial Emperor.
Just as Lin Xiao was cultivating, more than a dozen figures were flying towards the mountain range where Azure Dragon Sect was located. Powerful auras billowed from each of them.
“The Ji family has come to visit. May the Grand Peak Master of Azure Dragon Sect come out to meet us.”
Before the people had even arrived, an elder’s voice rolled through the air like thunder.
The voice carried terrifying majesty.
The elder guarding the mountain frowned slightly and hurriedly said to a middle-aged man beside him, “Go and invite the Grand Peak Master!”
The middle-aged man immediately flew deeper into the mountain range.
Very soon, the dozen-plus figures arrived near the mist-shrouded mountains. The mountain-guarding elder flew out to meet them and stood in mid-air.
“Everyone, please wait here a moment!”
The mountain-guarding elder said to the group.
His own strength was at seventh-level Martial Emperor, and he had seen his share of the world.
Moreover, this was Azure Dragon Sect. Even though the other side had brought a half-step Martial Saint, he was not intimidated in the slightest and remained perfectly composed.
The group said nothing, simply stopping in front of the mountain range and waiting silently.
Not long afterwards, an elder’s voice came from within the mountains. “So it is Elder Ji Min. My apologies for not greeting distinguished guests from afar.”
“Grand Peak Master, the Ji family has come for one matter only.”
The Ji family’s half-step Martial Saint elder, Ji Min, got straight to the point. “One of our fifty branch elder-in-charges, ninth-level Martial Emperor Ji Juan, was killed by a youth named Lin Xiao. I am sure you have heard of this incident.”
“And according to reliable intelligence obtained by the Ji family, this Lin Xiao is currently hiding inside your Azure Dragon Sect. We ask that the Grand Peak Master drag this person out and hand him over to the Ji family for disposal.”
The Grand Peak Master’s brow creased slightly, a wave of doubt rising in his heart.
He had already issued a gag order on this matter. Hardly anyone in Azure Dragon Sect knew about it. Who exactly had leaked the information?
The mountain-guarding elder beside him was utterly stunned. The youth who had caused such a storm recently was actually hiding inside Azure Dragon Sect?
How had he not known?
At that moment, a crowd of elders and disciples from Azure Dragon Sect flew out as well. Hearing this news, they were all shocked.
Bi Zhuang attacking Ji family members was one thing; he could still argue his case.
After all, Bi Zhuang had not personally killed Ji Juan, so the Ji family could not easily touch him.
But the youth who had killed Ji Juan, the Ji family would never let him go. And he was actually hiding inside Azure Dragon Sect?
Causing the Ji family to come knocking at their door?
“Elder Ji Min, Azure Dragon Sect and the Ji family have always been on friendly terms. We will naturally cooperate fully in this matter.”
After a brief pause, the Grand Peak Master replied, “However, words alone are no proof. I cannot make a judgement lightly. Let me have people conduct a search first.”
Azure Dragon Sect had its pride. They could not simply hand someone over the moment the Ji family showed up.
Thus, he was merely stalling and brushing them off.
With that, the Grand Peak Master turned to the mountain-guarding elder beside him and instructed, “Go, send people to search and see whether Lin Xiao is hiding within the sect.”
After saying this, he secretly transmitted a few more words to the elder.
The mountain-guarding elder understood, turned, and flew back into Azure Dragon Sect.
Ji Min’s brow furrowed. It was obvious the other side intended to delay and fob them off.
The culprit who had caused such an uproar had entered Azure Dragon Sect. As the Grand Peak Master, there was no way he did not know.
“Grand Peak Master, since we have come in such force, our intelligence cannot be wrong. I ask that you search thoroughly.”
Ji Min’s voice carried deep meaning. “Oh, by the way, I heard a while ago that a disciple of your Azure Dragon Sect named Meng Tao voluntarily left the sect and married into our Ji family.”
