Chapter 396 Chu Feng: First Watch Xiao Xuan’s Performance
At the Moon-Gazing Palace plaza, all eyes fixed on the three who had just appeared. These three looked ordinary, yet their attire was wildly strange.
One wore tattered clothes but carried a massive sword casket on his back; standing there he resembled an unbearably keen demonic blade that made others dare not approach.
Most striking was the unassuming youth bearing a coffin. A huge golden coffin rested on his back, carved with nine lifelike golden dragons in the posture of nine dragons drawing a bier.
Although the golden coffin remained closed, the cultivators present already sensed the terrifying aura emanating from within. The last of the three wore a blood-red robe and a mask of bone, hiding any trace of identity and marking him as from the Blood God Cult.
The onlookers drew a collective cold breath at such a rival lineup. The elders could not help but murmur in grave tones.
“What kind of fiancées has the Shi family chosen to draw disciples from three great sacred grounds? This time the Shi family may be finished.”
“Whether it’s the Northern Abyss Sovereign Court, the Blood God Cult, or the Divine Sword Holy Land, any one of them alone would be beyond the Shi family’s capacity to resist. Now they face all three.”
“Not only the three great sanctuaries, but also an inheritor of the Heavenly Corpse Sect. Look at that youth bearing the golden dragon coffin—if I’m not mistaken, he must be the heir of the Heavenly Corpse Sect. Each generation has but one successor, and with that inheritance comes the protection of a Saint, for within that golden coffin rests a Saintly Corpse.”
The words were low, but every cultivator present was no weakling; nothing on Moon-Gazing Palace escaped their notice, and the whispers spread to every ear.
“Senior, we recognize the three great sanctuaries and the Heavenly Corpse Sect’s disciple, but who is the Divine Sword Holy Land’s representative?” one asked.
“That youth carrying the great sword casket—he represents the sword-nurturing branch of the Divine Sword Holy Land,” another answered.
Upon hearing this, the Shi clan’s members grew pale as if facing a grave threat. Even the Shi family patriarch watched Chu Feng closely for his reaction. Chu Feng paid the murmurs no mind and turned to Qin Qin. “Qin Qin, do you detect anything unusual?” he asked.
Qin Qin replied respectfully, “Master, I perceive that Zhao Wuji’s spirit contains an elder of the Great Sage Realm; his aura matches that of the Nine Nether Holy Land almost exactly.”
“Good. Your World-Ending Eye grows ever keener,” Chu Feng praised.
The Shi patriarch hurriedly lowered his voice. “Friend, what should we do now?”
“Don’t rush. First watch Xiao Xuan perform; then we’ll decide.” Chu Feng blew gently on his teacup, relaxed and unbothered.
On the high platform, most of the female cultivators cast admiring glances at the contenders below. Which woman did not enjoy seeing her beloved declare their bond before the world? They cared little for the Shi family’s reputation—some even thought the clan’s downfall desirable.
Shi Xuan regarded the menacing newcomers with calm and asked, “Is that all of you?” Such an ordinary sentence sent shockwaves through the crowd.
“How dare that brat?” the cultivators exclaimed. Even Prince Zhen Nan looked worried and almost wanted to speak. He thought to advise Shi Xuan to relent—three great sanctuaries plus an inheritor of a Saint’s line were not provocations the Shi family should pick. Yet seeing Shi Xuan’s confident gaze, the words died on his tongue.
The coffin-bearing cultivator snorted coldly. “Shi Xuan, I have a thousand grievances against you. Today I will take the heads of this pair to sacrifice for my clan’s hundreds of dead. If you have the skill, come fight me first.”
Shi Xuan narrowed his eyes and turned to Zhao Zhiruo, asking flatly, “You not only broke the engagement but wiped out that family as well?”
Shi Xuan stepped forward, and in the blink of an eye appeared above the Moon-Gazing Palace, overlooking the five below.
The crowd was dumbstruck by this move, and waves of whispers spread through the plaza.
“Shi Xuan actually intends to fight alone against disciples from four great sanctuaries?”
“No wonder he’s the foremost prodigy of the Northern Abyss. Such boldness is unmatched.”
“If only he weren’t tied to the Shi family, or noticed by the Inquiry Academy’s great powers, today’s events might play out differently.”
The Shi family patriarch turned to Chu Feng and asked instinctively, “Friend, can Shi Xuan truly do this?”
Chu Feng smiled. “Shi family friend, why do you lack confidence in your own prodigy? Even if you doubt Shi Xuan, at least trust me.”
Hearing this, the patriarch suddenly felt at ease.
Zhao Wuji and the others, seeing Shi Xuan willing to face them alone, showed no arrogance. They were here not only to seize Shi Xuan’s bride but also to claim the fortune that surrounded him.
Exchanging glances, they spoke in unison. “Since you seek death, do not blame us for many against one.”
With that, the five stepped forward together and in an instant rose into the sky, surrounding Shi Xuan from five directions.
A sword’s cry split the heavens as a peerless demonic sword burst forth from the sword casket on the swordsman’s back.
At its emergence, heaven and earth changed color. Torrents of demonic qi smothered the entire Northern Wasteland Imperial City.
The suffocating aura made the onlookers’ hearts tremble.
Shi Xuan sneered. “Long Zaiyuan, I thought you were nothing more than a beaten dog, yet here you are again. So it’s only because you obtained a demonic sword.”
“Hmph!”
Long Zaiyuan coldly snorted. “Because of you I was expelled from the Divine Sword Holy Land, but also because of you I qualified to inherit the Sword Demon Great Saint’s legacy. Today, I will use your blood to consecrate my blade.”
At the name of the Sword Demon Great Saint, many faces changed.
The Shi family patriarch muttered, “Wasn’t the Sword Demon Great Saint’s inheritance already destroyed by the Divine Sword Holy Land? How can it appear here?”
Chu Feng laughed. “How could a Saint’s inheritance be erased by the Divine Sword Holy Land? This boy was likely groomed in secret. This battle is becoming ever more interesting.”
Shi Xuan was not cowed. He mocked, “So it’s the Sword Demon legacy that gives you courage. Today I’ll see what you are truly worth.”
His gaze shifted to the Blood God Cult disciple in the bone mask.
“Xue Wentian, are you not going to show your true face?”
Gasps filled the crowd at the name. In the Blood God Cult, only Saint disciples or registered disciples bore the name ‘Xue.’
Shi Xuan’s audacity was staggering.
“Shi Xuan, you grow more amusing by the moment. But today, you will fall here.”
As Xue Wentian spoke, he slowly removed his mask.
When the crowd beheld his features, they finally understood why Shi Xuan’s fiancée had favored him. His effeminate beauty surpassed that of many women.
On the engagement platform, Tong Ziyi and Tao Yaoyao gazed at Xue Wentian with rapture. Even if he ordered their deaths, they would follow him without hesitation.
Shi Xuan smiled faintly. “Is that so? Then let us see what tricks you all have to offer…”
(Note: All hell will break loose, a big royal rumble.)
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