The Great Palace Master Lan Xi sat astride a unicorn, clad in white holy armour, with the Sword of Judgment hanging at her waist. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, her striking figure exquisitely graceful, every inch of her skin radiating a soft white glow, like flawless jade.
The unicorn was no ordinary beast but a divine creature of light, bearing a pair of snow-white wings.
Its eyes held lightning, its breath like a dragon’s, its aura so formidable that it oppressed all the Great Sages present, as if a beastly god towering ten thousand zhang stood before them.
Yet, the unicorn had not reached the divine realm, falling just short.
After a thousand years of cultivation, the former Shadowless Fairy was even more dazzling. The yin and malevolent aura about her had faded, replaced by a radiant, blazing power of light, as if she were the embodiment of purity and beauty.
She leapt from the unicorn’s back, her feet shaking the ground, and strode toward the corpse stall. Dense white patterns spread beneath her feet like a tide, surging toward Zhang Ruochen, Xiang Chunan, Shu Yong, and Hua Chunqiu.
Shu Yong looked up, seeing the sky’s clouds turn dark red, a soul-shaking killing intent rushing toward him.
Even though Shu Yong and Hua Chunqiu were among the strongest of their realms, their minds trembled, caught in the Great Palace Master Lan Xi’s aura, feeling their holy souls suppressed, unable to resist.
This Judgment Hall’s Great Palace Master was far more terrifying than they had imagined.
Lan Xi’s gaze fell on the two mutilated corpses. She nodded and said, “The price is set too low.”
Shu Yong’s lips moved, but he couldn’t speak.
The space around his lips seemed frozen.
“Lacking divine stones recently, I wanted to sell quickly, so the price is lower. If the Great Palace Master is interested, I’ll offer a ten percent discount. How about it?” Zhang Ruochen held up the sign, pointing to the words, “Heavenly Realm cultivators, ten percent discount.”
Gasps rose from the surrounding crowd, who thought Zhang Ruochen was courting death.
Was this a provocation against the Great Palace Master of the Judgment Hall?
Lan Xi’s appearance stirred the entire Red Dust Sea Market like a stone causing a thousand waves, leaving no cultivator unmoved.
“The Great Palace Master of the Judgment Hall, a true titan.”
“A hundred years ago, the Shadowless Fairy was listed in the *Red Dust Peerless List*. Now, a century later, she’s likely transcended the Red Dust, entering the ranks of the peerless.”
“When a peerless powerhouse acts, it will surely shake the heavens. I wonder if the Red Dust Archipelago’s dao locks can withstand it?”
…
On a pavilion not far from the corpse stall, Yu Chenjing stood with hands behind her back, gazing over.
An old woman from the Thousand-Star Civilization behind her said, “With the Great Palace Master of the Judgment Hall personally intervening, they’re likely in for trouble. Should we step in, help resolve the conflict, and take the chance to build ties?”
Yu Chenjing shook her head, “They intended to stir trouble. If we intervene, wouldn’t we ruin their plans?”
“But they likely didn’t expect to provoke the Bright Temple. That Great Palace Master of the Judgment Hall has killed countless in the past century, wiping out clans and realms without blinking. She’s even slain two from the *Red Dust Peerless List*. Who knows if that Sword of Judgment at her waist will come down?” the old woman said.
The Sword of Judgment inspired fear in all.
In the Western Universe, this sword was the most terrifying weapon of slaughter. Any traitor of the Bright Temple trembled at its name. Any evil being would be scared witless.
Yu Chenjing’s gaze fell on Zhang Ruochen, “Tigu and Mo Yang were top-tier assassin emperors of the Heavenly Assassination Organisation. Whoever could kill them is no ordinary figure. Let’s keep watching. Perhaps we’re dealing with another peerless powerhouse.”
…
The Great Palace Master Lan Xi’s beautiful yet icy eyes locked onto Zhang Ruochen, a chilling killing intent forming countless light swords that flew toward him.
The sword wind howled, severing dao locks.
Zhang Ruochen stood still, and the incoming killing intent light swords dissolved into specks of light.
“Not bad,” Lan Xi’s eyes sharpened, holy energy surging rapidly within her.
Zhou Yu, unaware that Lan Xi and Zhang Ruochen had just clashed, approached with four Judgment Hall Great Sages, saying, “Collect these remains, store them properly, and bring them back to the Heavenly Realm for burial.”
“If you want these remains, you’ll need to pay the divine stones,” Hua Chunqiu said, painting a stroke that formed an ink river, blocking Zhou Yu and the four Great Sages on the other side. The holy energy from his brush sent them flying like weeds.
Hua Chunqiu, the strongest of the Painting Realm, had reached the Supreme Realm, nearing demigod status. How could Zhou Yu and these lower-realm Great Sages compare?
Lan Xi’s eyes grew stern, and she slashed with her hand.
Her gesture stirred wind and clouds, activating the island’s dense dao locks, which manifested like billions of glowing talismans hanging in the air.
*Boom!*
The ink river shattered.
The sword light formed by her five fingers crossed the broken river, striking Hua Chunqiu.
With a loud *bang*, Hua Chunqiu raised his brush to block, but the King-level holy weapon in his hand shattered. The sword energy struck him, tearing his dao domain and holy robes, sending him flying with blood spraying from his mouth and nose. A foot-long gash opened at his abdomen, severely wounding his organs.
Both were in the Supreme Realm, but the gap was vast.
“She’s truly reached… peerless… peerless level,” a cultivator stammered.
Too strong, even the dao locks couldn’t restrain her.
“Brother Hua!” Xiang Chunan rushed over, helping Hua Chunqiu up, glaring at Lan Xi, “How dare you injure him?”
Lan Xi stepped forward, her aura rising, crushing dao locks beneath her feet, “Killing an angel demigod makes you an enemy of the Bright Temple and the entire Heavenly Court. I won’t just injure him, I’ll slay him.”
*Whoosh!*
In a flash, she appeared before Hua Chunqiu.
Between her snow-white hands, dense rules of light intertwined, forming a zhang-long radiant greatsword.
Pushing forward, she thrust it out.
The sword’s light illuminated the entire Red Dust Sea Market, its power causing waves over ten zhang high in the nearby sea.
“Too much!” Xiang Chunan released countless starlight specks, forming the “Boundless Universe” truth domain, punching Lan Xi’s greatsword of light.
Fist met sword tip.
*Boom!*
The greatsword shattered, and both Lan Xi and Xiang Chunan staggered back, creating two powerful shockwaves.
The dozens of Judgment Hall Great Sages behind Lan Xi, despite forming a holy wall of light, were flung dozens of zhang away. Some coughed up holy blood, injured.
A two-zhang-wide crack appeared between Lan Xi and Xiang Chunan, stretching a hundred zhang to either side.
In the Red Dust Archipelago’s sea, dense dao locks were set to prevent Great Sages’ battles from destroying the islands. Such destructive power was extraordinary.
“Xiang Chunan is so strong, able to clash head-on with the Great Palace Master of the Judgment Hall.”
“His truth domain has reached the Boundless Universe level, unbelievable for a Great Sage.”
“He is, after all, the son-in-law of the Truth Temple’s Master.”
…
Lan Xi’s killing intent intensified, her ten souls and ten spirits bursting from her body, forming twenty identical radiant figures behind her, like twenty blazing suns.
She grasped the hilt of the Sword of Judgment.
Drawing it just an inch unleashed torrential sword energy, forming a sword storm.
*Whoosh!*
The white light from the sword caused nearby cultivators’ eyes to bleed, forcing them to retreat.
Even before fully drawn, the Sword of Judgment carried terrifying killing power.
Xiang Chunan showed no fear, scoffing, “The Judgment Hall is too lawless, killing as you please? You, Great Palace Master, were just my brother’s maid back then. If he were alive, you’d still be warming his bed in the Hell Realm!”
*Clang!*
The Sword of Judgment was fully drawn, raised overhead.
Lan Xi’s body glowed blindingly, transforming into light. Her ten souls and spirits merged into the sword, which she swung down.
“Fight then, you think I’m scared?” Xiang Chunan roared.
A divine shadow appeared in the sky, extending two giant divine hands, each forming a cloud of divine energy to dispel their attacks.
The chaotic energy waves gradually subsided.
The divine shadow stood in the air, saying, “Can you two give the Red Dust Peerless Tower some face and cease hostilities?”
Lan Xi recognised the shadow as the pseudo-god “Tianbin General,” guardian of the Red Dust Sea Market. She sheathed her sword but offered no bow, saying proudly, “The Red Dust Peerless Tower’s face must be given. But an angel demigod’s brutal death demands an explanation, doesn’t it?”
“Found!” Xiang Chunan retracted his domain, “Those two corpses were found by Brother Shu. We didn’t kill them. You’re mistaken!”
“Exactly, found,” Shu Yong and Hua Chunqiu said in unison.
Zhou Yu sneered, “Found! You just happened to find a twelve-winged angel demigod’s corpse? You think the Bright Temple is so easily fooled?”
Lan Xi’s gaze fixed on the silent Zhang Ruochen, “An angel demigod’s brutal death can’t be excused with ‘found.’ To avoid troubling the Red Dust Peerless Tower, come with me to the Bright Temple.”
Zhang Ruochen chuckled, looking at the mutilated corpses, “An angel demigod’s death demands justice. But are the lives of the cultivators they killed worthless?”
Lan Xi’s eyes narrowed, her hair swaying in the wind.
Zhang Ruochen continued, “These two on the ground are Tigu and Mo Yang, emperor-level assassins of the Heavenly Assassination Organisation. The innocent cultivators they’ve killed number in the thousands. Is the Judgment Hall avenging two notorious killers? Is the Heavenly Assassination Organisation backed by the Bright Temple?”
Lan Xi remained silent, her eyes radiating killing intent.
Zhou Yu said, “How dare you slander the Bright Temple? The Great Palace Master didn’t know they were assassins.”
“Get lost. Is this your place to speak?” Zhang Ruochen flicked his sleeve, sending a wave of righteous energy that flung Zhou Yu like a puppet, crashing into a building and burying him in rubble.
Shu Yong and Hua Chunqiu exchanged looks of realisation, their shock deepening.
Though they hadn’t seen Tigu or Mo Yang, the names of these assassins were legendary. What level of cultivation did Shu Qianchi possess to kill them?
They never believed Shu Qianchi had simply found the corpses.
After a long stare, Lan Xi said, “So they were assassins. They deserved to die.”
“Can I continue my business then?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Lan Xi replied, “No. Even if Tigu was an assassin, he was an angel. Your actions are tantamount to humiliating the angel race. I can spare you today, but I must take their remains.”
Zhang Ruochen sat back in his chair, “Let me be clear. Without divine stones, no one takes these remains today. Oh, and Lan Xi… Great Palace Master Lan Xi, you injured my brother. Shouldn’t you compensate with divine stones?”
Hua Chunqiu’s abdominal wound had healed, but at these words, he secretly reopened it, bloodied, and stepped forward, “Compensation is a must.”
“This Great Palace Master of the Judgment Hall is too unreasonable. I even painted her as one of the Nine Immortal Beauties back then.”
“Brother Shu, you need to talk to her, tell her the Heavenly Court’s realms are one family. This sword of hers mustn’t cause discord between realms. With the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm war looming, internal conflicts are unacceptable. Of course, if she compensates with divine stones, I can let it go.”
Lan Xi’s cultivation was too high for Hua Chunqiu to match. Another strike might kill him! So, naturally, he hoped Shu Qianchi would negotiate with her.
