Chapter 2810: Chu Jian’s Challenge
Aside from a few people, everyone attending the Tea Ceremony was in a daze.
Xu Jie, Xu Yue, Jiang Xiaodao, Little Lian, and all of the rest who were observing found themselves unable to react.
Xuan Qi was Lu Yin? The legendary Dao Monarch of the Origin Universe? It was unbelievable.
No one had ever considered this possibility, and it shattered all that they knew.
Bai w.a.n.gyuan clenched his fists as he stared at Lu Yin. This was the end. Their plan had been doomed from the very beginning, as they had been deceived before they even started.
Jiu Yao was beyond terrified. He had tried to frame Lu Yin as a spy at the Great Sovereign"s Tea Ceremony. Jiu Yao was no Progenitor, so he could easily imagine the fate that awaited him.
Lu Yin looked at his group of accusers. "Bai w.a.n.gyuan, w.a.n.g Fan, your four ruling powers and Sovereign Shao Yin are trying to slander me, which is ridiculous. If I, Lu Yin, were a spy, I would have never cooperated with your four ruling powers. If I were a spy, the Sixverse a.s.sociation would already have suffered countless losses. Can you explain that away?
"As for you, Jiu Yao." Lu Yin did not hate Bai w.a.n.gyuan and the others for wanting to frame him, nor did he hate Sovereign Shao Yin for his scheming. They were already Lu Yin’s enemies, which made such actions normal and expected.
No, what Lu Yin detested most was a traitor like Jiu Yao.
"Because the Progenitor of Combat died protecting humanity, I offered you the opportunity to join the Heavens Sect and even become the gatemaster of the Bloodlines Heavenly Gate. However, you have betrayed me for the four ruling powers and Sovereign Shao Yin. How can you be worthy of being a member of the Heavens Sect?
"Do the four ruling powers really think that they can deal with me by convincing a loser to turn traitor?"
Jiu Yao’s strength fled. He no longer had the courage to even try to defend himself, and his terror rose to even greater heights than ever before.
Suddenly, he made contact with a gaze so powerful that it illuminated the universe. Right after that, his body slowly started to disintegrate, starting with his feet, and moving upwards towards his head. A terrible pain a.s.saulted him at the same time, but no matter how badly he wanted to scream in agony, he was incapable of producing a single sound.
Everyone stared at Jiu Yao, watching as his body slowly disappeared from the bottom to the top, speechless. This cruel death was the Great Sovereign’s punishment.
There was no need for any details to be addressed, as the Great Sovereign was able to sort everything out.
Jiu Yao was the most miserable person involved, and he was dealt with first.
The entire process lasted long enough for a stick of incense to burn, and everyone just stayed still as they witnessed Jiu Yao’s death as he suffered in agony, but never uttering a single sound. They watched as he slowly disappeared from the world.
From this day forward, Jiu Yao ceased to exist.
Lu Yin wanted to stop things, shocked by how the Great Sovereign was handling this matter. He watched as sequence particles pa.s.sed by, causing Jiu Yao to disappear. Slowly, he was transformed into blue smoke that left along with the sequence particles. For some time, Lu Yin just stared as he tried to understand what was happening to Jiu Yao. However, even at the end, Lu Yin had failed to see anything clearly.
He was unable to understand what the Great Sovereign had done.
Not even Heaven’s Sight allowed Lu Yin to discern what had happened. This was not because Heaven’s Sight was insufficient, but rather because, at the core, Lu Yin was still only a peak Envoy.
Everyone attending the Tea Ceremony remained silent.
Only after everything finished did Mu Shen speak. "Great Sovereign, Sovereign Shao Yin and the four ruling powers attempted to frame Lu Yin as a spy. How should this matter be dealt with?"
Everyone turned to look at the Great Sovereign.
She was high above all others, dominating the sky. Despite her femininity, her majestic presence was awe-inspiring and suffocating. Everyone had no choice but to look up at her.
Sovereign Shao Yin did not dare speak a word in his own defense. There was no point in saying anything at this point in time.
"Shao Yin, you will serve on the Endless Frontier for 10,000 years. You will not return until your time has expired."
The Great Sovereign was able to punish anyone, and no one would argue.
With a term of 10,000 years on the Endless Frontier, even if Sovereign Shao Yin wanted to live in an ordinary universe on the battlefield, the Aeternals would never allow it. On top of that, the Sixverse a.s.sociation’s rules stipulated that Sovereign Shao Yin had to enter one of the top five most dangerous universes, or at the very least, one of the top ten.
Sage Yuan was trembling. He felt incredibly lucky that Lu Yin had chosen him as the person who could not target Lu Yin or the Origin Universe. If not for that, there was no chance that Sage Yuan would have avoided being caught up in this matter.
There was no way that he could survive on the Endless Frontier for 10,000 years. At this thought, the Sage actually felt that he needed to thank Lu Xiaoxuan.
"Bai w.a.n.gyuan, w.a.n.g Fan, and Xia Shenji will serve on the Endless Frontier for 10,000 years."
The three Progenitors received the same punishment from the Great Sovereign as Sovereign Shao Yin.
The Origin Universe was a member of the Sixverse a.s.sociation. According to what Chu Jian had once said, the Great Sovereign was regarded as the co-master of all humanity, and she could punish whoever she chose.
Bai Xian"er appeared calm, looking as though Bai w.a.n.gyuan"s punishment had nothing to do with her.
Xia Shenji"s expression changed, and he looked to Lu Yin for help.
Lu Yin quickly spoke up. "Great Sovereign, Xia Shenji was not involved in the four ruling powers" attempt to frame me."
Sovereign Shao Yin spun around to glare at Xia Shenji in absolute fury. It turned out that the Progenitor was one of Lu Xiaoxuan"s people.
Bai w.a.n.gyuan and w.a.n.g Fan were both startled. Why would Xia Shenji help Lu Xiaoxuan?
Lu Yin calmy received their stares, not even considering offering any sort of explanation.
Xia Shenji anxiously turned to look at the Great Sovereign, waiting for her to change his punishment.
However, that did not happen.
Chu Jian rose to his feet and turned to face Lu Yin. "Dao Monarch Lu, earlier, Sovereign Shao Yin tried to stop Bai w.a.n.gyuan and the others from accusing you of being a spy, which can be regarded as an attempt to redeem himself. However, the matter was forced to proceed twice due to Xia Shenji. If Xia Shenji was not part of this matter with Bai w.a.n.gyuan and w.a.n.g Fan, then that means that he is one of your people. That changes this from merely being a matter of Sovereign Shao Yin and the four ruling powers working together in an attempt to frame you, but also you purposely laying a trap for them to step in, no?
"In that case, Xia Shenji should receive the same punishment as the others.”
"Finally, there is also that person. If my guess is correct, then he is someone you sent to pose as Xuan Qi in order to deceive the four ruling powers. He will also be punished," Chu Jian finished as he pointed at Luo Lao"er.
Luo Lao"er nearly peed himself. Would he also be punished? The thought of Jiu Yao"s tragic death just now caused a chill to sweep over him.
Lu Yin sneered. "Junior Sovereign, are you saying that I should let this matter go? Just because Sovereign Shao Yin tried to stop his plan because he discovered that I am actually Xuan Qi and realized that his attempt to frame me was doomed?"
Chu Jian’s expression turned cold. "Should this really be addressed during the Tea Ceremony? This is Master"s Tea Ceremony, the Sixverse a.s.sociation’s most important event. It is a place where countless people eagerly work to attend in order to pursue further progress with their cultivation, while also cherishing the memory of mankind’s heroes. This is not a battlefield for your schemes."
"It seems quite clear that I did not choose this battlefield," Lu Yin retorted.
Chu Jian merely shrugged. "While it is true that Senior Shao Yin is at fault, he also turned back before the end. You can ask Master to punish him after the Tea Ceremony, but not now."
Lu Yin laughed. "What a hypocritical b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”
"If I were not Xuan Qi, would you still say those words at this Tea Ceremony? If I had been successfully framed as a spy at this Tea Ceremony, it would have been the most significant and talked about event in the ceremony, making it go down in history as a memorable one where the Heavens Sect’s glorious Dao Monarch was revealed as a spy. Is that what you wanted to see? Is that what your Cyclic Universe wanted?"
"Impudence!" Chu Jian shouted loudly.
Lu Yin"s eyes flared. "What qualifications do you possess to rise up and accuse me? The four ruling powers weren’t successful when they brought a piece of trash to accuse me, so did Sovereign Shao Yin send you, another piece of trash, to try to confuse people on what is right and wrong? Just who do you think you are?"
Chu Jian raised his head up high. "You claim that I am unqualified? You are nothing but a clown. Do you really believe yourself to be the Dao Monarch of the Heavens Sect? Do you really believe that you can call that place the Heavens Sect just by gathering a few random people? Today, I will force you to face reality."
He then turned to the Great Sovereign and gave a deep bow. "Master, please allow me to challenge the heir of the Lu family."
People glanced at each other. While fighting was not permitted at the tea ceremonies, after seeing the attempt to frame Lu Yin as a spy of Aeternus, as well as the Junior Sovereign’s antagonism, no one believed that this was not a matter of the Cyclic Universe targeting the Origin Universe.
However, what of it? With the Great Sovereign’s suppression, such matters were irrelevant.
"Permitted."
The Great Sovereign demonstrated her att.i.tude with a single word.
Lord Xu and the other rulers of the universes did not say anything. The battle was intended to be between Chu Jian and Lu Yin, who were roughly of the same age. So even though Chu Jian had already broken through and become an Ascendant and Lu Yin had not reached that same level, people still regarded it as a fair match.
Bai Xian"er looked up, her eyes lighting up as she stared at Lu Yin.
Let me see where you are now.
Chu Jian was the Cyclic Universe’s perfect Junior Sovereign. All who knew of him knew that he quickly mastered whatever he learned and achieved perfection in all things.
His reputation was even greater than many peak powerhouses.
Even if the Cyclic Universe’s Three Sovereigns and Nine Sages were mentioned, the Junior Sovereign would never be overlooked.
Even so, no one seemed to know anything at all regarding Chu Jian’s combat strength.
Lu Yin had once looked into it, only to learn that the Junior Sovereign had reportedly never fought within the Sixverse a.s.sociation. Despite that, it was impossible for Chu Jian’s incredible reputation to be groundless. There had to be a reason, even if no one knew what it was.
"I know that you have already defeated Chu Yuan. He was the only Dao Chosen that your Origin Progenitor ever met. However, I am the Great Sovereign’s disciple. You and I are not on the same level, Lu Xiaoxuan, and today, I will show you the distance between the heavens and the abyss." As he spoke, Chu Jian lifted his arms and caused a bow and arrow to take shape in a very natural manner. Everyone watching had a strange feeling, as though something had been taken from their hearts.
An arrow was loosed, piercing the sky as it shot towards Lu Yin.
Lu Yin had not expected the first attack to be an arrow fired from a bow.
"The Seven Divine Arrows?" someone exclaimed.
Lu Yin paid attention. The Seven Divine Arrows? This seemed to be the battle technique of Arrow Sage, one of the Nine Sages. It was said that not even the Seven SkyG.o.ds could avoid this attack and that the arrows could only be forcefully blocked or intercepted. These arrows were not ordinary weapons, as they used humans’ seven emotions to form the arrows. They were peerlessly sharp and completely unstoppable. When the arrows pierced a person’s heart, they would instantly create emotional flaws.
Arrow Sage had used his Seven Divine Arrows to dominate the Endless Frontier, as it was a battle technique that was acknowledged as far superior to Chen Le"s Monarch Arrow.
The arrow was clearly just an arrow, and it did not even move very fast. However, because the arrow had been formed from the seven emotions, as long as a person possessed emotions, it was impossible to evade this arrow. This was Chu Jian’s opening attack.
From his seat, Arrow Sage"s eyes lit up. He could not deny that the Junior Sovereign was indeed perfect. Chu Jian’s Seven Divine Arrows was far more powerful than what Gong Yu was capable of unleashing. This was not merely due to a gap in cultivation, but more so because of a gap in comprehension.
This arrow would be difficult for an opponent with the same cultivation as Chu Jian to avoid, and Arrow Sage was completely confident in Chu Jian’s Seven Divine Arrows.
After all, there was indeed a gap in cultivation levels, but Chu Jian was the one who held the advantage. Lu Yin was the one in the weaker position.
Everyone watched as the arrow shot towards Lu Yin. The greater one’s understanding of the Seven Divine Arrows, the more they understood just how terrifying Chu Jian’s attack was.
A smile appeared on Lu Yin’s face as his hand rose and a finger pointed out.
Arrow Sage’s eyes narrowed. He had come to admire the heir of the Lu family, especially after seeing the young man’s boldness in forcing his way through the Heavenly Gate. Unfortunately, the youth was simply too arrogant.
As Chu Jian had mentioned, the current Heavens Sect was not the same as the ancient Heavens Sect, and Lu Yin was not a true Dao Monarch. He wanted to counter the Seven Divine Arrows with a single finger? How ridiculous.
The tip of the finger struck the tip of the arrow, but the sight that everyone had antic.i.p.ated of Lu Yin"s finger being destroyed did not play out. Instead, the arrow disappeared.
The attendees of the tea ceremony were silent. Everyone stared blankly, but it was clear that there was not even a mark on Lu Yin"s finger. What had happened to the Seven Divine Arrows technique?