Chapter 442: The Tigress Enters the Fray!
Chapter 442: The Tigress Enters the Fray!
"Lian Xi!"
Her name was quickly recognized by the crowd.
"Lil Xi..." Upon seeing her, Liu Yuan's sweat finally ceased, but what followed was an even deeper discomfort. He lamented, "You could have just secured a safe passage for Yingying. Why did you have to step into this mess?"
He was no fool. He knew better than anyone that this was a dead end.
"Dad!" A girl in a pink dress threw herself into Liu Yuan's arms, bursting into tears. It was Liu Yingying.
"Lian Xi has come to save us! Dad!" Liu Yingying cried like rain.
"She can't save us." Liu Yuan said tremblingly, sinking further into despair.
"Why?" Liu Yingying asked, pained.
"..." Liu Yuan did not answer.
Under Liu Yingying's stupefied gaze, she looked up and indeed saw the whole world looking at their family with utter indifference… It was the feeling of being abandoned by the world!
Why? She didn't understand. What had they done wrong? Human hearts eaten away by Gu, people treated as devils!
"Lian Xi?" The golden-armored youth, Tian Chen, with a slight smile under his helmet said, "As the enforcers of Heavenly Order Temple, any interferer will be considered equally guilty. May I ask if you intend to betray humanity and stand against the Primordial Ruins and all beings of the myriad worlds?"
"No, no, no." Jian Xing hurriedly shook his head and bowed to Lian Xi, saying, "Please hear me out. Although the Liu Family owes you for your upbringing, the mistake they've made has forsaken all of humanity!
Tian Chen, smiling again, added, "You might not be aware, but when the Heavenly Order Temple was passing judgment, someone claimed that you were part of the Liu Manor and should be executed as such. However, my grandfather, the Sky Source Son, valued your potential and argued for your separation from this sinful estate for the sake of all beings. We hope you will align with the wishes of the people, cherish your reputation, and not sully it by associating with the True Devils!"
"Heh..."
They spoke eloquently, yet the crowd laughed in response.
"Tian Chen, Jian Xing." Lian Xi clenched her fists. "If you wish to target me, come directly at me. To stoop to such despicable means is beneath your strength."
The mightier they were, the more contemptible their tactics, often ensuring their victory in battle!
Slaughtering the entire Liu Family wouldn't dent the strength of the Primordial Academy, but such vile and lowly methods were indeed nauseating.
"Lian Xi, we fail to grasp your point. The crime lies with the entire Liu Family, not with you, and certainly doesn't implicate you," Tian Chen said with a smile.
"One last reminder," Jian Xing added, still smiling, "The hour is upon us. We urge you to preserve your purity. Don't let the filth of the Liu Family sully you."
"Nearly 15, not so young anymore, not the naive girl you once were! Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment and hinder the enforcement of the Heavenly Order Temple's laws!"
"Under the law, the Emperor and commoners are equally guilty; how much more so for the insignificant Liu Family?"
A barrage of reproachful words descended upon her.
Under this overwhelming pressure, Tian Chen's eyes grew cold as he proclaimed with a majestic voice, "By the solemn decree of the Heavenly Order Temple, the Liu Family and all its relatives are to be executed immediately. Any who defy this command share the same guilt!"
"Yes!" The Primordial Guards did not hesitate, lest they be found guilty themselves. And so, they hurried themselves.
"Execute!" Over 2,000 people, in unison, raised their swords and blades.
"Lian Xi!" Liu Yuan suddenly stood up, seizing a ceremonial blade and placing it against his throat, he shouted despairingly at the girl in the white dress. "Go! You have a sacred duty to protect. Do not let the insignificant lives of my clan doom the future..."
"Uncle Yuan." Tears filled Lian Xi's eyes as she looked at the middle-aged man. He was not powerful, but he had given her a home, where everyone treated her kindly... Over a thousand people here, all her kin.
She could see, many in white robes around her shaking their heads. This was a trap set by the descendants of the Three Immortals; stepping in would mean falling for it entirely!
In this atmosphere of despair, in this vast world, there was only one young man in white standing by her side, nodding at her. That was Yun Xiao. He said, "In life, it's rare to have it all. If being rational means sacrificing my family, between understanding and madness, I often choose madness."
This was his way, opting for a desperate fight, seeking a perilous path to survival, battling to the end!
"They suffer because of me; it's my duty to take responsibility. Help me," Lian Xi suddenly said, turning to Yun Xiao. Truth be told, she had already figured it out. She just needed someone to stand by her side!
"Go!" The protectors in white robes surrounding Lian Xi couldn't intervene as long as she was not in danger. Exchanging a glance at the moment the entire family was condemned, they suddenly sprang into action!
Yun Xiao stepped back, Lian Xi forward! They crossed paths without a glance, yet their coordination was as if honed over countless epochs.
BUZZ! As he moved past Lian Xi, Yun Xiao was enveloped in a violet dragon aura, with over 500,000 Runes swirling around him!
He had acquired many treasures in the Jade Immortal Tower that could enhance his Sword Aura and Runes, but to keep suspicion off him, he had refrained from using them. After today, perhaps he could!
"Polar Yin-Yang Chess!"
BOOM! With his Life Sigil, Yun Xiao conjured a massive violet chessboard right at the entrance of the Liu Manor!
Unlike the ordinary Polar Yin-Yang Chess, his board materialized thousands of black and white chess pieces, each adorned with dragon patterns. These pieces, like Flying Swords, charged, spun, and even shattered into the void!
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! The moment the over 2,000 Primordial Guards slashed down with their swords, they were blown away by the dense swarm of black and white pieces, battered until bloodied!
The strength of the Primordial Guards, mostly in the Genesis Spirit Realm and lower, was overwhelming in numbers but stood no chance against Yun Xiao's supreme mastery of daoist spells. Not a single one could withstand it!
Under Yun Xiao's command, the violet chessboard swept up, unleashing a thunderstorm that hurled the 2,000 Primordial Guards through the air, blowing them away into the crowd outside!
The Liu Family remained unharmed, safe and sound! This audacious act not only stunned the cultivators of the Primordial Ruins but also left the entire Liu Family dumbfounded.
They couldn't imagine defying the Heavenly Order Temple, what a grave sin that was! This was no minor scuffle within the Primordial Academy! Not just Lian Xi had acted, Yun Xiao too...
Liu Yuan, holding the blade against his throat, stood dumbstruck as tears streamed down his face.
"Dad! Everything will be alright..." Liu Yingying took the blade from him, her voice choked with tears.
"What do you mean, alright? This is serious trouble!" Liu Yuan's face was the picture of despair as he sighed. "Under the heavens, all is celestial territory. In this vast world, all are under the dominion of the Three Immortals. Where can our family find even a spot to call our own..."
"There is one, the Primordial Academy!" Hope sparkled in Liu Yingying's eyes. "I heard that the Three Immortals do not enter the Primordial Academy, because there lies the Primordial Pagoda. They fear it!"
"Don't be ridiculous..." Liu Yuan said, his gaze distant.
"It's true, I once... accidentally overheard those in white robes talking to Lian Xi!" Liu Yingying insisted.
"Really?" Liu Yuan shivered, a sliver of hope finally blossoming in his heart.
At that moment, Yun Xiao appeared beside him!
"Get ready. We're breaking through to the Primordial Academy," Yun Xiao said.
Luckily, the Liu Family wasn't far from the Primordial Academy.
Liu Yuan looked deeply at the young man. He noticed that beside Yun Xiao, Lian Xi seemed even more resolute and determined.
"Alright!" Liu Yuan clenched his teeth. His mind buzzed, aware of the heaven-defying act they were embarking on. Yet these two youngsters were calm, earning his admiration.
"Lian Xi..." Lifting his head, Liu Yuan saw Lian Xi taking on the two at once, buying them time.
"Yin Immortal Realm, huh? Seems even stronger than the Five Decays Realm," Yun Xiao muttered to himself.
Without using the Sword Heart, he knew he wasn't qualified to participate in this battle between peak Immortal talents. However, what comforted him was seeing Lian Xi, in her rage, displaying her peak combat power for the first time in front of the world.
"You go first; we'll cover the rear," Yun Xiao said, glancing at Lian Xi, then addressing Liu Yuan.
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