At the banquet, Jiang Taiyou of the Past Sect and Taichu Zhen of the Taichu Clan were present.
Both women were peerless powerhouses of their time, naturally qualifying for the invitation.
Li Ban Zhi glanced at the gathered crowd, smiling, “Everyone, I’ll be direct. Guanxuan Academy is a juicy prize, one you’ve all coveted for a while. My investigation shows their industries span the entire Guanxuan Universe, with Dao Crystals worth at least a trillion. Beyond that, they control a spiritually revived primordial universe. Its value needs no introduction, does it?”
Taichu Zhen glanced at Li Ban Zhi, saying nothing.
Jiang Taiyou smiled, silent.
Li Ban Zhi continued, “And Guanxuan Academy has only one Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm expert, the plain-dressed woman you all saw earlier.”
The hall fell silent.
Li Ban Zhi smiled, “You’ve all studied the Guanxuan Universe and this Young Master Ye. You know his ambitions won’t stop. He’ll keep expanding, meaning he’ll eventually clash with everyone here. His character, as you’ve seen, is such that a single disagreement leads to war, no compromise…”
She shook her head with a smile, “If your clan’s younger generation accidentally provokes him, given his nature, do you think it’ll end well?”
The hall remained silent.
But many faces grew serious.
Taichu Zhen glanced at Li Ban Zhi, smiling without speaking.
This woman was twisting concepts, creating a threat narrative.
Of course, it didn’t concern her.
Li Ban Zhi added, “Of course, I admit they’ll clash with my Li family too, especially with their Xianbao Pavilion. So, we must recognize our shared interests. My Li family has always stayed neutral, but this time, we’re willing to take the lead. We’ll provide one Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm expert. If each of you contributes one, we can easily gather ten. Ten against one sword cultivator, even she will surely fall.”
Her final words rang with conviction, stirring the heart.
Certain death.
The crowd remained silent.
But many were visibly tempted.
Suddenly, Taichu Zhen said, “My Taichu Clan will provide one Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm expert.”
All eyes turned to her. She smiled, “Miss Ban Zhi is right. Ye Xuan is narrow-minded, a wildcard for the future. His ambitions are vast, and he’ll expand aggressively. If we don’t unite to deal with him now, once he fully rises, we may not be able to handle him.”
Jiang Taiyou added, “Miss Zhen is absolutely right. This man must die. My Past Sect will provide two Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm experts.”
Two!
The hall froze in surprise.
Li Ban Zhi glanced at Jiang Taiyou and Taichu Zhen, a bit surprised. She hadn’t expected such strong support.
Something felt off.
Jiang Taiyou added, “Of course, I want a bigger share of the benefits.”
Li Ban Zhi’s face broke into a smile.
If they wanted something, that was fine.
Wanting nothing would be suspicious.
Taichu Zhen glanced at the crowd, smiling, “Everyone, the wealth of the Guanxuan Universe is substantial, and that Xiao Guan Universe, don’t you want it?”
An elder suddenly said, “We all want the wealth, but how do we divide it?”
How to divide it?
All eyes turned to Li Ban Zhi.
Clearly, many had made their decision.
It was a juicy prize, and they were ready to dig in. After all, it seemed a sure thing.
Li Ban Zhi smiled, “My Li family will take none of the Guanxuan Universe’s wealth or the Xiao Guan Universe. We only want what’s on Ye Xuan himself.”
Taichu Zhen laughed, “Miss Ban Zhi, impressive.”
The crowd gave Li Ban Zhi a deep look.
Ye Xuan’s possessions were no ordinary items.
But they weren’t upset. If the Li family wanted nothing, they wouldn’t trust them.
Since everyone had their desires, it was easier to proceed.
Moments later, the hall reached a consensus.
Li Ban Zhi stood, raising her wine cup, “After today, the Guanxuan Universe will cease to exist.”
The crowd raised their cups, some echoing with laughter, “I’ve never killed a Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm. Today, I’ll finally get my wish.”
The hall erupted in laughter.
Taichu Zhen drained her cup, a faint, barely noticeable smirk curling her lips.
Beside her, Jiang Taiyou also drank deeply, her smile radiant.
…
Upper Heaven Realm.
It didn’t take long for Ye Xuan and Qing’er to arrive.
At the entrance, an elder blocked their path.
The elder looked at Ye Xuan, about to speak, when his pupils suddenly contracted. He waved his right hand, unleashing a surge of black light.
Boom!
Something struck the black light, shattering it instantly.
Boom!
The elder was flung back, his body breaking apart inch by inch during the flight. In a blink, only his soul remained.
But as he stopped, a sword pierced his forehead.
Boom!
The elder’s soul froze in place. He stared at Ye Xuan in shock, about to speak, when Ye Xuan flicked his fingers.
Swoosh!
The elder was erased.
Ye Xuan turned to Qing’er, “Strong?”
Qing’er thought for a moment, then glanced around, “The starry sky is beautiful.”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened.
At that moment, the Upper Heaven Realm erupted with activity, as terrifying auras surged from within.
Ye Xuan looked toward the realm, his expression calm, his heart steady.
He wasn’t nervous at all.
Today, he’d kill as many as came.
That’s how bold he was.
Suddenly, a white light surged from the Upper Heaven Realm. Ye Xuan’s eyes narrowed, and he charged forward, wielding his sword intent, slashing fiercely.
Boom!
The white light was stopped by his strike but didn’t dissipate. Then, another white light surged from the realm, merging with the first.
Boom!
Ye Xuan was blasted back ten thousand zhang, yet the white light persisted, chasing him down.
Ye Xuan’s eyes narrowed. With a thought, countless streams of Human Sword Intent poured from his body, forming an intent sword that slashed down fiercely.
Swoosh!
The white light was torn apart by the intent sword.
But at that moment, a massive starry sky Eight Trigrams diagram appeared above him.
Ye Xuan looked up, frowning. Were they playing with formations now?
Boom!
Suddenly, a beam of starlight shot from the depths of the starry sky, merging into the Eight Trigrams diagram.
Boom!
The diagram came alive, slowly rotating, and millions of light streams poured down from it.
Seeing this, Ye Xuan’s face darkened.
Just the two of them, and they were using such a massive formation. How shameless.
Utterly outrageous.
But he still didn’t call on Qing’er to act.
This time, he wanted to fight himself. Qing’er was just there to cheer him on.
Ye Xuan opened his palm, and countless Human Sword Intents surged like a tidal wave. This time, he unleashed the Great Dao Divine Qi and his bloodline power.
But he still didn’t draw the Qingxuan Sword.
The countless Human Sword Intents formed a ten-thousand-zhang giant sword that soared upward, clashing with the streams of light.
Boom!
The sword pierced the heavens.
Boom!
The two forces collided, the starry sky boiling like molten lava, a terrifying sight.
Yet Ye Xuan’s sword light grew dimmer.
His expression turned fierce, and he stomped his right foot.
Boom!
He transformed into a streak of sword light, soaring upward, slashing directly at the Eight Trigrams diagram.
Boom!
A deafening explosion resounded through the starry sky, shockwaves spreading millions of zhang outward.
In the starry sky, Ye Xuan stood with his sword, Human Sword Intent surging from him like waves. The Eight Trigrams diagram above had dissipated.
He looked toward the Upper Heaven Realm, expressionless, “That’s it?”
That’s it?
His voice was calm but carried naked contempt.
A voice suddenly echoed from the Upper Heaven Realm, “I underestimated you.”
A middle-aged man slowly walked out.
As he emerged, he waved his sleeve, and the space within millions of li calmed instantly, the waves vanishing completely.
Half-Step Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm.
This was Shang Jing, the current patriarch of the Upper Clan.
The Upper Clan no longer sent Heavenly Knowledge Realm experts against Ye Xuan, as he could kill them instantly. Sending them was just offering heads.
Ye Xuan sized up Shang Jing, a flicker of excitement in his eyes.
Finally, a real powerhouse.
Heavenly Knowledge Realm experts were too weak for him.
Completely beneath his level.
A Half-Step Heavenly Knowledge Saint Realm sparked a bit of interest.
But then, Shang Jing looked at the plain-dressed woman, smiling, “In my life, I’ve fought above my realm at every stage. Today, I, a mere Half-Step Heavenly Knowledge Saint, dare to challenge you.”
With that, he raised his right hand, and a terrifying aura surged from him. The starfield within tens of millions of li trembled violently, countless powerhouses looking toward the Upper Heaven Realm in shock.
So terrifying.
Who was this?
So strong.
…
Elsewhere, a monk looked at Shang Jing, “Wubian, can this guy beat that Destiny bigshot?”
Master Wubian glanced at the monk, who quickly clasped his hands, “I think he probably can’t.”
Wubian looked at the plain-dressed woman, saying calmly, “In this world, only I can take her sword. No, not one sword, I could take ten.”
The monk and the divine being stared at Wubian, stunned.
Was Wubian hiding his strength?
Wubian added, “I’m not bragging. I might grunt at the first sword, but the other nine? I wouldn’t even flinch. Believe me?”
The two: “…”
…
