Volume One, Chapter 31: Putting the Defiant in Their Place

At the summit of Qingyun Mountain, inside the Alchemy Hall.

The interior was spacious enough to accommodate a hundred people at once. The carved wooden beams were adorned with images of azure phoenixes and sparrows, and numerous potted plants were carefully arranged throughout—longevity pines that replenish vitality, bamboo that channels energy, and mysterious orchid-like plants. Their presence attracted many spiritual beasts, which lingered and circled within the hall.

Near the inner chamber, a large azure qilin was tethered, lazily dozing.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket, stood up from my seat, and prepared to disembark. Midway, I wiped the sweat from my brow, taking several deep breaths to calm myself.

Most players were filled with righteous indignation, harboring a deep hatred for the Soul Slayer who had brought devastation upon the world. Yet, due to their insufficient strength, even the resistance led by the rebel factions was like an ant trying to stop a chariot.

It wasn’t until Feng Xi, in response to Qing Ming’s teasing, sought out the Seven-Colored Stone with great joy, hoping to present it to his beloved, that he witnessed a heartbreaking scene. The stone shattered, scattering like Feng Xi’s broken heart. Enraged, he faced the consequences: the Heavenly Emperor stripped him of his immortality and demoted him to a lower realm. Yet Feng Xi felt no regret.

“Why? Why insist on making me leave? In terms of strength, I surpass all your students. Why can’t I stay here?” said Gai Luo.

But Jiang Duoli’s death remained a painful wound in Liu Yi’s heart, and she would not heed Gai Luo’s cries. When she finally exhausted herself from protesting, she showed no sign of submission or apology.

Before long, the group arrived where Mebius was. To their amusement, Mebius was sound asleep. The thick dark circles under her eyes betrayed the exhaustion of the previous day’s ordeal.

“Jun, should I help you finish him off?” one of the thugs whispered. Liu Jun pressed a hand to his neck, his gaze cold and murderous.

By coincidence, the feng shui master had accepted a bribe to use geomancy to kill a child destined for wealth and honor. The child shared the same birthday as Ying Tian, though their birth times differed slightly.

“What do you know? Scars are a man’s badges of honor!” Commander Gao retorted firmly.

After rounds of fierce competition, tens of thousands of prodigies were whittled down to only three hundred. This brutal selection highlighted not only the unparalleled talent and potential of the survivors but, more importantly, their true strength.

However, upon arriving, Tang Yi did not lead the group inside. Instead, he entered a nearby shop called “Tianya Huo Family Jewelry.”

People were restless, unsure of what had happened. The voice seemed to echo inside their minds as if from nowhere.

“The cranial nerves beneath the pituitary gland are injured. There will certainly be aftereffects. Fortunately, the brain itself remains intact, so memory and intelligence won’t be affected. But treatment and recovery will take a long time,” Luo Li recalled Santos’s current state. Seeing his half-destroyed face made her eyes redden.

Tian Mo sneezed and murmured, “Why do I always feel something’s off?”

On top of that, during this period, dealings with the Ancient Clan and various sects involved Shen Gongxi, who frequently employed underhanded tactics.

“I’m on my way back now. I just escorted Tian Yi to Zi Yu’s place,” the voice sounded somewhat disappointed. Qian Ziwei felt a pang of loss, while Li Changlin didn’t think much of it.

Near the Divine Pillar of the ruins, a dozen young masters bowed one by one to the phantom image, expressing their gratitude. Even Song Ming and Li Mengru showed sincere thanks with a bow.

“Hmph! You got off cheap, damn Wu Man!” Lin Wanru stomped her foot in fury toward the Wu Man army below, cursing fiercely before turning to catch up with Chu Yan.

“Boss Song, right? Where are you looking with those eyes?” Qian Ziwei naturally remembered Song Haonan.

As the administrative center of Qingzhou and the former capital of the Qi Kingdom, the land’s richness was undeniable. If not for Jiao He, it wouldn’t have fallen into such ruin.