Chapter 82 - 79: Questioning

Chapter 82: Chapter 79: QuestioningOn the vast plain, demon energy filled the air, and figures crowded as far as the eye could see. The boiling clamor of voices saturated the site like successive waves, one stronger than the previous. Today marked the final day of the trial period. The princely heirs who had entered the test site for their trials had mostly returned here by now. Regardless of whether they had met the conditions or not, today was the absolute deadline; they had to rush back. For the vast majority, the conditions to enter the ultimate showdown were extremely stringent. Even if they were given a few more days, or even over ten days, meeting those conditions seemed an unlikely feat. In stark contrast to the roiling voices on the site, the atmosphere was somewhat heavier in the pavilion stands where figures with strong auras sat in silence. These individuals were the elite figures of the Great Xia Kingdom. On the side of the Royal Family and the Xia family, Xia Xun and others had evidently already returned. The Xia family had two individuals who had met the conditions for the trial, which made Xia Tianyou quite pleased. However, the expressions on the faces from the Jun and Xie families were less favorable. On one hand, it was because the Xia family had achieved commendable results, and on the other, Jun Wuming and Xie Cangsheng had yet to appear. Although they did not believe that with those two’s strength, anything untoward could happen in the trial site, there were only two or three hours left until the deadline. "Jun Wuming is usually quick and efficient in his duties. Why the delay this time? Could it be that going after that kid has held him up?" The continued absence of results caused the Jun family to grow anxious. Jun Shan stepped forward, whispering to Jun Zhantian at his side. "Perhaps. Otherwise, with Wuming’s strength, he should have been back by now." Jun Zhantian nodded, his murky eyes flashing with sharpness, "If he truly managed to eliminate that kid, then missing this trial wouldn’t matter much." "Father, you worry too much. Xie Cangsheng from the Xie family hasn’t come out either. Let’s wait and see; I’m confident we’ll have results soon. Wuming has never disappointed us." Standing on Jun Zhantian’s right, a black-clad middle-aged man with a cold appearance, who bore a resemblance to Jun Wuming, responded. This man was Jun Zhantian’s eldest son and Jun Wuming’s father, Jun Bufan. "Mm." Jun Zhantian nodded again and then turned to look in the direction of Xie Guangbo and others. Indeed, although the latter had not yet shown apparent impatience, impatience had already started to surface between their brows. "Xun’er, Xuner, did you encounter Ye Xuan during your trial in the site?" On the Xia family’s side, a grey-robed elder queried Xia Xun and Xia Xun’er. "No." Both shook their heads, then looked at the elder with a somewhat troubled expression. Xia Xuner added, "But the trial site is quite vast; It’s normal that we haven’t run into him. Jun Wuming and the rest haven’t appeared either. Don’t worry, Elder Xi, Ye Xuan should be fine." Xia Xuner knew that her Elder Xi was particularly concerned about Ye Xuan, which puzzled her. The attentiveness Elder Xi showed towards Ye Xuan seemed to even surpass Xia Tianyou’s, which was odd. "That’s uncertain. The people from the Jun family are always treacherous and insidious; it’s not beyond them to take a life in the trials. If something did happen to Ye Xuan, it’s likely tied to them." A cold light appeared in Xia Yanzeng’s eyes. If Ye Xuan was actually targeted during the trials, he would be the first not to let the Jun family off the hook. He would risk his old life to make them pay. As time progressed on the plain, the end of the trial period drew nearer until the final moment had elapsed. On one of the stands, Elder Xi raised his head to check the sky, then rose to his feet and slowly made his way above the crowd. Seeing Elder Xi emerge, the crowd quickly quieted down, guessing that this appearance likely signified the announcement of the first round’s end. Just then, from the third trial site entrance, a figure unexpectedly dashed out—a black demon tiger with two ferocious heads. Seated atop the tiger was a young figure, appearing as swiftly as lightning. The multitudinous gazes hastily turned toward the newcomer. People from the Jun and Xie families widened their eyes, hoping it was someone from their own family. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t know that Jun Wuming and Xie Cangsheng had been slain by Ye Xuan, erased from this world henceforth. "Ye Xuan?" The Xia family’s side lit up with excitement, as the figure that emerged was none other than Ye Xuan, about whom they were all concerned. "This young man, worrying me for nothing." Xia Yanzeng’s face broke into a smile upon seeing Ye Xuan’s safe return. Crack! In his hand, the teacup Jun Zhantian was holding crumbled into powder. A surge of violent energy burst forth, and in an instant, the entire mood among the Jun family turned murderous. Jun Wuming and his cohort had been assigned the task of killing Ye Xuan before the trial started, but now Ye Xuan is not dead, and instead, Jun Wuming and the others have yet to return to this day. What does that tell us? However, they did not suspect that Ye Xuan had killed Jun Wuming and his two companions. At most, they thought that the latter three were only trapped by Ye Xuan’s scheme because they completely believed in Jun Wuming’s strength. With the three working together, the possibility of mishap was minuscule, not to mention the likelihood of them dying at the hands of Ye Xuan. "This kid really has some skills, huh? I really wonder what happened in the trial grounds, but it must have been very interesting." Watching Ye Xuan appear at these nearly last moments, Xia Tianyou also smiled meaningfully, his gaze towards Ye Xuan adding a trace of peculiar brightness. "So it seems that both Jun Wuming and Xie Cangsheng have lost their opportunity to enter the final showdown." Xia Xingyun looked at Elder Xi, who was announcing the end of the first round of trials, his expression contained some confusion. What on earth happened to those two? Could it be that their failure to arrive has something to do with Ye Xuan? "Ye Xuan! Our Jun family’s three members are still unaccounted for. Where are they now?" As Ye Xuan expected, right after Elder Xi announced the end of the first round of trials, Jun Zhantian and others blocked his path, exuding a powerful aura and forcefully questioning him. "What does the return of your Jun family’s people have to do with me? How would I know where they are?" Ye Xuan braced himself, his expression remained unchanged as he responded. "Kid, don’t play dumb! This matter is definitely related to you. Spit it out, did you use some kind of trickery to trap them somewhere?" Jun Shan’s face was grim. If not for the presence of many experts here, he would have been unable to restrain himself and would have struck down Ye Xuan. "What a joke, why not just say that I killed them? If I want to accuse someone, I can surely find an excuse. As a minor Fifth Grade Martial Master, if I really encountered them and a conflict ensued, the one trapped in the trials grounds should have been me." "Hmph, as if you could have killed them! It seems that without giving you a lesson, you won’t tell the truth!" Jun Shan sneered, raising his palm as if ready to strike. "Stop!" At that moment, a figure in a gray robe suddenly burst forth, landing in front of Ye Xuan. The formidable aura unique to Martial Sect Masters was released, instantly suppressing the daunting presence of Jun Zhantian and his group, and established a front of equal standing. "A Martial Sect Master Realm?!" The crowd’s attention shifted to the man in the gray robe, then shock registered on their faces. The man had charged out from the Xia family’s seats, but they had never seen him before. When had the Xia family acquired an additional Martial Sect Master? "Did Uncle regain his strength?" The Xia family side was also thoroughly astounded; Xia Tianyou was momentarily taken aback before joy quickly spread across his face. He was well aware that Xia Yanzeng’s powers had been crippled, once thinking him finished for life. Unexpectedly, Xia Yanzeng had now recovered his strength as a Martial Sect Master, a tremendous boon for their Xia family! "How is that possible, to recover after one’s strength has been crippled?" The Xia family’s general public might not have been aware of Xia Yanzeng’s condition, but the Jun family was quite familiar with it. His cultivation had been destroyed over a decade ago, and after a lengthy period of silence, no one expected his current return would see his Martial Sect Master strength restored. After a moment of shock, Jun Zhantian and the others regained their composure, then Jun Zhantian locked gazes with Xia Yanzeng, "This is a matter between our Jun family and this kid. The Xia family shouldn’t intervene. We just want to get some clarity." "I don’t see that’s necessary. If your Jun family members have gone missing, wouldn’t you search for them yourselves? Why immediately assert it’s related to Ye Xuan without any basis? Whether it’s connected to Ye Xuan or not, you’ll know once you find them," retorted Xia Yanzeng, who would not stand to see Ye Xuan oppressed by the Jun family. Now with his strength restored and his high status within the Xia family, he had no need to fear the Jun family. Hearing this, the faces of the Jun family members darkened, but with Martial Sect Master Xia Yanzeng shielding Ye Xuan, they were powerless to use force, and their expressions turned ugly. "I think it doesn’t hurt to ask. Our Xie family also has some questions for this kid." At that moment, another slightly aged voice was heard, as Xie Guangbo led the Xie family’s experts, their attention fixed on Ye Xuan. "Our Xie family’s Princely Heir participating in the trial has been out of contact till now, and someone has seen Xie Cangsheng having a conflict with this kid. I want to know the whereabouts of Xie Cangsheng and the others." A sharp light flickered in Xie Guangbo’s turbid eyes, his gaze piercing as if he could see through Ye Xuan, but regrettably, he couldn’t find any flaws on Ye Xuan. "Heh, isn’t that strange? Is every disappearance in the trials somehow linked to me?" Ye Xuan’s lips curled into a mocking smile as he spoke. Seeing Ye Xuan’s calm and composed expression, Jun Zhantian and Xie Guangbo exchanged a look, inwardly questioning whether the matter was indeed unrelated to Ye Xuan, perhaps Jun Wuming and the others had simply run into unexpected trouble in the trial grounds. With that thought in mind, they were temporarily unwilling to press further, planning to find their people first. However, at that moment, a slightly sinister voice suddenly interrupted, "Family Heads, the whereabouts of Jun Shao and Young Master Xie, I know where they are."