Chapter 128 - God of the Nine Heavens, Resplendent in Celestial Might!
"Greetings?" Yun Xiao raised an eyebrow.
Chen Xuan continued his salutation, his eyes flashing gold as he inquired, "Exactly! Might I ask the esteemed identities of your households?"
Yun Xiao understood. These Grand Temple teachers weren't here for pleasantries; it was courtesy first, conflict later.
In the ways of the Immortals, one gauged the background before making a move.
No matter how powerful one was, no one wanted to mistakenly kill and invite undue trouble. The Immortal Dao was no different from the Jianghu, and those from the Jianghu were crafty indeed.
Yun Xiao's parents were mere mortals, so he had no answer to that!
Chen Xi's chilling gaze met the assembly of Grand Temple teachers. "Chen Xuan, a year has passed, and now you don't even recognize my father? The Supreme Marshal of the Nine Heavens Immortal Army, does that not give you a pause?"
Supreme Marshal of the Nine Heavens Immortal Army?
On hearing this, the expressions of the gathered prodigies changed to a mix of awe and respect. "No wonder she's so arrogant! Such an illustrious lineage..."
As Chen Xi's words faded, the complexions of several Grand Temple teachers took a drastic shift.
"The Sorceress of the Chen Clan, is that you?" Chen Xuan's eyes widened in surprise and anger. "After being expelled from the Chen Clan and vanishing for a year, you went to the mortal realm?"
"Indeed. And?" Chen Xi smirked subtly.
"You dare return to the Heavenly Realm?" Chen Xuan spoke with a heavy voice, while the elderly daoist beside him dispersed, encircling the lady in the white robe.
"The Heavenly Realm is my home. Why wouldn't I return?" Chen Xi laughed softly, "Not only am I returning, but I also intend to participate in the War of Immortals. Impressed?"
Chen Xuan's face grew colder. He exchanged glances with the others before fixing a stern gaze on Chen Xi, declaring icily, "Since you've been expelled from the Chen Clan, don't think you can use your father's reputation to intimidate the Grand Temple. You're now nothing more than a piece of driftwood, and you dared to harm our students? It seems a year's absence hasn't made you reflect on your wrongs, but rather intensified them. So be it, the Grand Temple will act on behalf of the Chen Clan, and in the stead of your father, to punish you. We'll escort you back for discipline. If you resist, any consequence is on you."
"Again with this act?" Chen Xi's eyes flared with a fiery intensity, the mask resembling a white tiger emanating a chilling aura. "If you wish to kill, just say it. Why hide behind a facade and disgrace yourselves?"
"Silence!" Chen Xuan's gaze turned icy, and he shouted with a raised hand, "Summon the Mystic Azure Scroll'!"
"The Mystic Azure Scroll?" Hearing these words, every prodigy in the vicinity raised an eyebrow in alarm. This thing, well, it was a force to be reckoned with.
"Oh, Chen Xi thinks her fancy title will protect her? Adorable," someone remarked.
"These Grand Temple teachers aren't fooled so easily!" N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.
And as they all watched with a mix of awe and dread, a grand tapestry soared from Chen Xuan's hands, unfurling above Chen Xi's head. Its depicted landscapes, rivers, and mountains seemed to materialize, exerting a force akin to a world's weight.
HUM! The several teachers of the Grand Temple activated their Wind Fire Tribulation Realm magic power, channeling it into the Mystic Azure Scroll.
BOOM BOOM BOOM! Yun Xiao suddenly felt the weight of a hundred thousand mountains pressing down upon him. His skin threatened to rip apart, and fresh lacerations appeared.
"You want to trap her, fine! But why include me?" Yun Xiao's eyes flashed, his frustration evident.
Yun Xiao narrowed his eyes, gazing at the nape of Chen Xi's neck. "The best defense is a good offense," he mused. "If I strike down the enemy first, I won't need to defend."
"What about the runes, alchemy, enchantments, and formations?" Blue Star asked.
"Why juggle all those side gigs? Isn't it a waste of time? Crafting a pill can take days, even months. Killing only takes an instant for me. I'll wait for others to finish their crafting, then take their treasures," Yun Xiao quipped.
Blue Star, clearly amused, replied, "Well, aren't you something!"
Yun Xiao shifted his attention to the fallen enemies. "Hold on, there are items dropped!" he exclaimed. Approaching Chen Xi, he asked, "If you're not going to pick them up, can I?"
"Most items from the Grand Temple are specially marked. If you use them, they might bring disaster upon you," Chen Xi warned calmly.
"I hope the next wave of enemies brings more treasures, then," Yun Xiao remarked. He quickly gathered up the dropped items. Without looking closely, he could tell he'd just made another fortune.
Blue Star, not missing a beat, said, "See, if you follow her, you'll get rich!"
Chen Xi, watching Yun Xiao's deft and audacious maneuvers, chuckled behind her icy facade. "You're quite the character. You have the appearance of an ethereal being, yet you act like a commoner from the marketplace, seeking treasures from those you've defeated. Don't you have any bigger aspirations?"
"Do aspirations pay?" Yun Xiao retorted, grinning.
"No, they don't," Chen Xi replied.
"So, what's the point of them?" Yun Xiao laughed.
"You really are a contradiction, aren't you?" Chen Xi mused. "You look gentle, yet your actions are fierce."
"And you? Delicate in appearance, yet so violent when provoked," Yun Xiao shot back.
"Am I that violent?" Chen Xi pouted. "Alright, I'll tone it down a bit."
"No need," Yun Xiao said with a wry smile. "You be violent, I'll get rich."
As the conversation trailed off, Chen Xi steered the celestial ship, pushing forward towards the golden Heavenly Realm. It was said that this celestial ship was the key to traverse the barriers between worlds, a crucial warship of the Immortal Empire.
Suddenly, Stray Dog, the burly youth with violet eyes, sidled up to Yun Xiao. "Bro," he whispered, "Forgive my bluntness, but have you been... kept?"
"Kept?" Yun Xiao blinked in confusion.
"You know, a sugar mama situation?" Stray Dog inquired, his face a mask of curiosity. "I mean no offense, just praising your looks. Honestly, with your appearance, you could be a top courtesan in the Heavenly Realm. You'd never have to leave the bed."
Yun Xiao was taken aback. Was he really that good-looking? Pulling out a mirror, he studied his reflection. "Well, you're right. I might never leave the bed."
"So, are you kept?" Stray Dog asked, a hint of envy in his eyes.
"Do you know her?" Yun Xiao whispered, not bothering to entertain the question.
"Of course, she's quite famous," Stray Dog replied.
"Tell me more," Yun Xiao urged.
"The Chen Clan is an ancient and powerful family in the Heavenly Realm, with prodigious individuals in every generation. They hold significant influence in all major institutions of the Immortal Empire. And her father? He's the Supreme Marshal of the Nine Heavens Immortal Army in the Immortal Empire—a real big shot in the Heavenly Realm."