Chapter 74: A Great Show

Above, the blue-green Divine Mansion resembled a celestial palace, exquisite and radiant. Tidal waves of spiritual power pressed towards him! Before he even arrived, his path forward was blocked. Great Elder Xu Yuancan had made his move! This ring must not fall into Qi Cang’s hands; otherwise, Ling Yi would have no standing to contend with him. "Xu Yuancan!" Qi Cang roared in fury. "You old dog dare do this!" He had been confident his plan had succeeded, not anticipating another competitor existed. Xu Yuancan was at the Celestial Fate Fourth Layer; he couldn’t hope to defeat him. Forced to retreat swiftly, several Celestial Fate Elders from Ling Yi’s faction attacked from the sides and rear. In a desperate situation, Qi Cang took a gamble. You forced my hand! He decided swiftly, no longer caring what was inside the ring, he wiped it decisively and threw out an object! "Die, all of you!" "Hahaha..." Seeing a chicken-egg-sized treasure emitting a green glow being thrown, Xu Yuancan and the other Elders were scared out of their wits. They all knew Jiang Cheng’s ring contained a Tier Nine Spirit Talisman. Throwing it is equivalent to a full-force attack from a Daoist Palace Realm. Though Celestial Fate Realm, even they could not withstand it. Even if they miraculously survived, they would surely be grievously injured. "Qi Cang, you’re ruthless!" Fearful, Xu Yuancan could only flee madly. He desperately activated his Divine Mansion and Spirit Armor, forming a strong defense. He never thought Qi Cang would be so determined! He used such an uncontrollable killer in the core of the Eight Clouds Hall. This strike would surely bury tens of thousands with it! At that moment, all seats in the plaza were upended, fruits and vegetables scattered in the sky. Shouts filled the air, plunging the scene into complete chaos. Grumble... The egg-sized ’treasure’ eventually landed, rolling on the ground for several turns before coming to a halt. The crowd was terrified, yet the anticipated explosion didn’t occur. Upon closer inspection, it was just a Top-grade Spirit Stone. This... Xu Yuancan and the others had already fled dozens of miles high in the sky. Looking back, they were stupefied. Had they been frightened into flight by a mere Spirit Stone? Pfft! Brother Cheng laughed aloud. What were these people doing? Was this a grand comedy performance? An encore? Was this part of the ceremony? If so, at least use a better prop; isn’t a Top-grade Spirit Stone lacking in persuasiveness? Qi Cang, bewildered, began doubting reality. This wasn’t the scene he expected; had he mistakenly grabbed the wrong object in haste? Yes, that must be it! He quickly searched with his divine thought, intent on finding the Tier Nine Spirit Talisman to stabilize the situation. But it was too late. In his moment of hesitation, his right arm holding the ring was sliced off by a flash of sword light. The hand clutching the ring loosened, and the ring flew free. A gray robe flashed by, seizing the ring and soaring skyward! "Lu Zhong..." "How dare you!" Qi Cang, now with blood pouring from his lost arm, was livid and furious! In this critical moment, the one who stabbed him in the back and seized the ring was his most trusted Lu Zhong. Yet Lu Zhong disregarded Qi Cang’s fury entirely. He indeed once supported Qi Cang, but that was in the past. He had been merely a first-level Celestial Fate at the bottom among Council Elders, limited by his potential in this lifetime. Supporting Qi Cang was a gamble on possibly improving his status should Qi Cang become Sect Leader. But now, he was making a second gamble in his life. Why should the ring stay with Qi Cang? Why couldn’t he claim it for himself? Getting this opportunity might overturn fate, allowing him to reach the Daoist Palace Realm, so why be others’ stepping stone? No need to remain under anyone else! Without lingering, he took advantage of the elders’ retreat-induced gap to escape through a flaw in the encirclement. Transformed into a long arc of light, he fled beyond the mountain gates. In that instant, everyone was too late to pursue. Rumble! Atop the distant sky, a burst of flames exploded. A mighty Divine Mansion, swirling purple, gray, blue, and green, descended from above the clouds, knocking Lu Zhong down from the sky. High above, a white-clad Ling Yi held the ring aloft, appearing like an immortal descending to the world. Finally, he acted decisively. "Ling Yi..." Lu Zhong, who had been struck down, wore a bitter expression, knowing the ring would never belong to him now. Had he known Ling Yi also eyed this opportunity, he wouldn’t have muddied the waters. Qi Cang, with a severed arm, raged like a berserk beast, charging towards the sky. He couldn’t accept this outcome. How many efforts had he put into Jiang Cheng’s opportunity? Ultimately to be intercepted by another? But as soon as he ascended, Xu Yuancan and others, who had returned, blocked him; he couldn’t even approach Ling Yi. "Qi Cang, thank you for the opportunity!" Triumphant with the ring, Ling Yi felt on top of the world, as if even the Palace Master was beneath him. With such a tremendous opportunity and his talent, he felt no need for concealment. He could fully release his edge! But in the next moment, his smile froze. Bang! A massive light beam, thousands of meters thick, shot up from the ground, arriving like lightning. Ling Yi had no time to evade, hit directly, his entire being engulfed by the beam. The Eight Clouds Hall’s Sect Protection Array—activated! Generally, even natural operation of the array attacks wouldn’t target sect disciples. But exceptions exist. Like when someone manually manipulates the array’s core center. In Eight Clouds Hall, only Sect Leader Qi Yuansheng could achieve this. The importance of the Sect Protection Array is such that only the Sect Leader has direct control. The rapid series of events left many still unclear; Ling Yi had already fallen. His elegant white robe vanished, easily destroyed by the array’s attack. The Eight Clouds Hall’s Sect Protection Array could resist even an expert of the Daoist Palace Realm for a moment. What hope then against a mere Celestial Fate First Layer? Even if Ling Yi was a top genius with extraordinary encounters, capable of defeating typical Celestial Fate Third Layer, it was futile. Had he not worn Eighth Grade Spirit Armor, and reached Celestial Fate First Layer, with exceptional constitution, he would be utterly obliterated by this strike. Even so, he suffered severe injuries. His exposed skin beyond the Spirit Armor was unmarred. Blood flowed freely, his appearance terrifying, his former splendor gone. Qi Yuansheng stood over the ruins, the ring in his possession. Below, Ling Yi moved weakly, fumbling for pills to shove into his mouth, blood unceasing from his throat. Never in life had he been so wretched. After striking down Lu Zhong, it was his life’s pinnacle moment. Who knew life’s ups and downs could come so suddenly? Reaching his highest, events struck him down. Qi Yuansheng, holding the ring, didn’t spare him a glance. As if this person wasn’t even a disciple. "Have you all forgotten there’s a Palace Master in Eight Clouds Hall?"