Long Tutian turned his head, looked at the Ji family Martial Saint, and smiled. “Correct. Lin Xiao is leaving with me. Do you have any objections?”
The Ji family Martial Saint’s expression darkened.
He was a grand Martial Saint, one of the Ji family’s Four Directional Elders, a man who had lived for centuries. Yet today, a junior dared to declare in his face that he would take the culprit away.
This was the very person who had annihilated two entire Ji family branches.
Yet the opponent’s strength made him wary; he was truly helpless.
If they fought, he definitely could not keep the other here.
“Even if you take him back to Canglong Sect, the Ji family will pay a visit. Are you certain you want to bring him away?” the Ji family Martial Saint said gravely.
“Very certain!” Long Tutian smiled faintly, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Clearly, if the other refused, a fight was imminent.
The Ji family Martial Saint’s face grew even uglier. The current Long Tutian was someone he could no longer see through.
Back then, Long Tutian had been all sharp edges and fearless arrogance, extremely high-profile. Now he had become restrained, even speaking politely.
This was the complete opposite of the Long Tutian of old!
The Long Tutian of the past would have cursed him to his face.
Yet this restrained version somehow felt far more dangerous.
Of course, part of that came from Long Tutian having stepped into the Martial Saint realm.
In the past, no matter how heaven-defying his talent, Long Tutian had been powerless before Martial Saints. If not for Canglong Sect’s protection, he would have been crushed long ago.
Now even he could not control the man.
“Then just wait. The Ji family will never again allow Canglong Sect to run rampant!” the Ji family Martial Saint declared coldly.
He had no choice but to agree. Long Tutian was invincible among peers. That earlier probing strike had already proved his dominance. If they truly fought, the Ji family would gain nothing.
Still, he flicked his sleeve. Eleven beams of light shot toward the eleven intact leader skeletons. “Bang! Bang! Bang!” With a series of explosions, all eleven skeletons shattered completely, leaving Lin Xiao no chance to retrieve even fragments.
Seeing this, Lin Xiao felt a sharp pang of loss.
Those were combat skeletons he had spent over a month refining, equivalent to eleven Ninth-layer Martial Emperors, gone just like that…
Yet against a Martial Saint, he was powerless.
“No matter. External strength is never the true path!” Long Tutian said calmly to Lin Xiao, as though he was actually pleased the skeletons were destroyed.
Lin Xiao was speechless. Those were the fruits of his blood and sweat!
But since you’re my senior brother and a Martial Saint, whatever you say is right…
“Just put it on the tab. We’ll collect from the Ji family later,” Long Tutian added with a laugh.
“…” Lin Xiao.
“…” The Ji family Martial Saint.
“Farewell, Elder Ji Lian!” Long Tutian smiled at the Martial Saint again. His aura surged, sweeping Lin Xiao up as he prepared to leave.
“Western Elder!” At that moment, an urgent shout rang out. A figure rapidly approached.
The newcomer was a face Lin Xiao had never seen, yet his cultivation had reached half-step Martial Saint. He wore Ji family robes; clearly another Ji family elder.
The half-step Martial Saint had been rushing, but upon seeing the scene, shock filled his face, especially when he recognised Long Tutian.
“Long Tutian!” The elder’s expression turned grave.
“Elder Ji Shi, long time no see. That old injury from back then, has it healed?” Seeing the newcomer, Long Tutian did not leave immediately. Instead he greeted the half-step Martial Saint with a smile.
The half-step Martial Saint named Ji Shi froze, his face instantly turning ugly.
Back then, Long Tutian had nearly beaten him to death. If not for a Martial Saint intervening, he would not be standing here today.
After being gravely wounded by Long Tutian, he had lain bedridden for half a year, unable to use any power, and for several years afterwards he could not fight at full strength.
That grudge was carved into his very bones.
Yet he had no hope of ever reaching Martial Saint. Revenge was now all but impossible.
Long Tutian had truly become a Martial Saint. Ji Shi could not match him; he was not even worth noticing anymore.
The feeling choked him with frustration.
“Speak!” Elder Ji Lian beside him said grimly.
“A great change has occurred in the Domain of Evil!” Withdrawing his hateful gaze from Long Tutian, Ji Shi answered directly.
The three great powers already knew this secretly, and it would not remain hidden for long.
At those words, Ji Lian’s spirit jolted.
Long Tutian’s eyes also lit up brightly. Immediately afterwards, he swept Lin Xiao along and shot away. His rolling voice echoed back, “Elder Ji Lian, I’ll be one step ahead.”
“Settle the survivors first!” Ji Lian instructed Ji Shi. Then he himself streaked after Long Tutian at lightning speed, vanishing from everyone’s sight in a flash.
The onlookers were dumbfounded.
In the void.
Lin Xiao was carried along at an unimaginable velocity, not much slower than when he had poured countless spirit stones and pills into his Void Heavenly Phoenix Wings.
This left Lin Xiao stunned. The speed of a Martial Saint truly defied imagination.
After the shock passed, Lin Xiao immediately began healing.
Though he had nearly died under the Ji family Martial Saint’s pressure, once it lifted the danger was gone. His injuries were not actually severe. After swallowing a healing pill, they steadily recovered.
Once he was out of danger, Lin Xiao removed his mask, put it away, and revealed his true face.
Seeing Lin Xiao’s real appearance, Long Tutian showed no particular surprise. While carrying him along, he praised, “As expected of fellow disciples from the same school. Junior brother, you truly carry my style from back then!”
“Senior brother flatters me. Compared to you in those days, I’m afraid I still fall far short,” Lin Xiao replied.
From the attitudes of Ji family, Sacred Heaven Sect, and even Canglong Sect elders and disciples, it was clear that back then he had stormed Canglong Sect itself. The things he had done were probably no fewer than Lin Xiao’s.
“Even though I was arrogant in my time, I never directly wiped out two of their branches,” Long Tutian said.
Lin Xiao fell silent.
Long Tutian did not dwell on the topic. A nostalgic look appeared on his face as he asked, “By the way, how are Vice-Dean Rong and the others at Saint Origin Academy?”
“They’re all well. You Tian Demon Palace was destroyed by Vice-Dean Rong and me. They should be living even better now. Back at the academy, they often spoke of senior brother and constantly compared me to you…” Lin Xiao began recounting events at Saint Origin Academy.
Long Tutian also reminisced warmly about their shared experiences at the academy. Lin Xiao told him everything: entering the Profound Domain, obtaining the Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon Spirit Energy, and annihilating You Tian Demon Palace. The two of them caught up in their own unique way.
Throughout, even though Long Tutian was now a Martial Saint, he spoke with great familiarity and showed no distance from Lin Xiao.
“Who would have thought the Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon Spirit Energy would end up with you…” Long Tutian sighed, then suddenly added, “Actually, among those who left Saint Origin Academy, it’s not just the two of us who made a name for ourselves. There is one more person whose reputation far surpasses both of ours.”
“There’s someone from Saint Origin Academy with an even greater reputation than you?” Lin Xiao asked in astonishment.
Besides Long Tutian, was there an even more formidable figure who had come from Saint Origin Academy to the Central Province Continent?
