Chapter 89: Defeat Him

The battle grew fiercer by the moment, yet Luo Qingyu continued to dismantle each assault with effortless grace, though not without moments of real peril.

Even so, her strength allowed her to evade those dangers by the narrowest margin, especially when facing the prodigies of the great sects.

Though their power was not on par with Qin Jueqiong’s, it was not far off, and yet under Luo Qingyu’s onslaught, she still managed to prevail by a hair’s breadth.

And yet these people still satisfied the Heavenly Jade Sect’s standards. After all, in a fight to the death, the one who would surely lose was Luo Qingyu.

They had come with thoughts of marriage alliance in mind, so naturally they would not unleash their full strength. They all hoped to win beauty to their side; how could they bear to injure Luo Qingyu?

Thus, they held back far more than they should have. Otherwise, how could Luo Qingyu have won? There was, after all, a great deal of deliberate restraint in the mix.

Ye Jiuyao watched his future wife being bullied and could no longer hold himself back. If not for Zhu Qing’s gaze circling over him again and again, he would already have been planning to secretly bury those so-called prodigies in the ground.

“Those who have passed, please move to the Jade Hall. The rest may proceed to the side hall. My Heavenly Jade Sect has long prepared finer hospitality for all of you.”

Zhu Qing smiled warmly at the people from the various sects. Many had come merely to watch the excitement, and since they had not been chosen, they felt nothing at all.

But the disciples of the seventh rank, and especially those of the sixth, were truly vexed.

This was particularly true for those who had already seen Luo Qingyu’s face. Their frustration surged like a volcano, then was buried down once more, until they were miserable to the extreme.

Still, they had no choice but to go to the side hall.

They kept turning back every few steps, watching Luo Qingyu and the others enter the Jade Hall, their faces full of reluctance.

“Look at them, all reluctant to leave. My little enchantress really is irresistible,” Ye Jiuyao said softly to Luo Qingyu, his tone dripping with teasing amusement.

“If you keep being naughty, I’ll choose them instead,” Luo Qingyu shot back with a fierce glare.

“Er... you can’t play like that...” Ye Jiuyao felt deeply wronged, his eyes glimmering with complaint.

Soon, everyone had entered the hall.

“Today, three sixth-rank sects, two seventh-rank sects, and one ninth-rank sect have met the requirements. As for who the final blossoms fall to, that still depends on Qingyu’s opinion. After all, this concerns her own life.”

With a graceful smile, Zhu Qing blossomed with charm and looked toward the six sects’ representatives.

“Qingyu is very happy that you all came. To help the sect share its burden is our duty. So Qingyu would like to ask: are you strong?”

Luo Qingyu’s voice was as melodious as an oriole’s song, light and lovely, but the final question came like the cry of a hawk, carrying a sharp pressure.

“This...” The others looked troubled. They naturally understood the implication in her words: she wanted them to compete with absolute strength.

“How does Saintess Qingyu intend to measure strength and weakness?”

“Battle him. If he wins, I will choose again. Otherwise, if my Heavenly Jade Sect is to survive this crisis, we can only rely on ourselves to weather it...”

“Qingyu...”

Ever since Zhu Qing had taken Luo Qingyu as her disciple, she had regarded her as her own daughter and naturally did not want to force her. Yet this matter concerned the life and death of the sect, and so she had no choice but to do so. Now that she saw Luo Qingyu had made a decision, she could not help but breathe a sigh of relief for her.

“Master, I know what to do. It’s all right,” Luo Qingyu transmitted quietly.

The prodigies of the six sects all turned their eyes to Ye Jiuyao, their gazes blazing with fighting spirit. Something called jealousy had begun to stir in their hearts.

“Fine.”

Ye Jiuyao knew Luo Qingyu was setting him up again, but he was happy to oblige. After all, a lone bachelor could never understand this kind of joy.

“Please.”

He motioned for the six to make their move. Zhu Qing’s expression shifted slightly; by now, how could she still fail to see that Luo Qingyu had feelings for him?

But she had never seen this person before. How could that be? Unless...

Suddenly, Zhu Qing remembered what Luo Qingyu had said before she had begun to advise her.

“Master, I already have a promise of marriage. I will marry no one but him. The crisis facing the Heavenly Jade Sect can be resolved as long as he comes...”

Zhu Qing recalled those words, and they echoed again in her mind. For a moment, she stared at Ye Jiuyao in a daze.

If he truly was Luo Qingyu’s childhood sweetheart and beloved, then this matter would be rather troublesome.

On one side stood the man beloved by her cherished disciple; on the other, the foundation of the sect built over hundreds of years. In an instant, she found herself caught in deep difficulty.

But the battle outside had already erupted, pulling Zhu Qing back into reality. Her gaze lifted toward the sky.

“Then—”

“No need. All of you come at once!”

Ye Jiuyao showed no courtesy at all, his bearing arrogantly lofty. His eyes shone like brilliant stars, filled with proud confidence.

By his own reckoning, this was not arrogance, but style.

“Hmph, how conceited!”

“You know nothing of my strength.”

“In a moment, you’ll learn what it means to be utterly crushed.”

...

“Heh, your strength is not bad, but you are far too proud,” Duan Ya said, his expression darkening as he looked at Ye Jiuyao.

Yet Ye Jiuyao did not agree. He lifted a hand and casually brushed back his hair, then looked at the six of them once more.

“I’m not targeting anyone in particular. I just think all of you are trash.”

“What?!”

“I can endure a gentleman’s insult, but not this!”

...

Ye Jiuyao’s words ignited the fury of the others. Luo Qingyu’s face was filled with worry; she had not expected him to challenge all six at once.

If she had known, she would never have let him take such a risk. These people might spare her, but they would never show Ye Jiuyao the same mercy.

After all, she had been in the Thousand Emperor Realm for over a year and knew its rules all too well. She pressed her lips together, then said softly:

“Maybe... let’s not fight. I’m afraid...”

“What?”

The six of them heard Luo Qingyu’s gentle voice and instantly felt as if their bones were melting.

Her voice was simply too soft, too sweet.

It felt as though their ears might become pregnant.

“Don’t be afraid. Beat them down!”

Ye Jiuyao suddenly broke into a grin, then looked at Luo Qingyu with a face full of smug delight, even giving her a wink.

“You’re courting death.”

Seeing that, the six of them felt as though their dignity had been slapped away, and in an instant they surged forward.

“Netherworld... Desolate Heaven Palm!”

A massive hand blotted out the sky, carrying apocalyptic spiritual force as it crashed toward the six.

“Six-Phase Fist!”

Suddenly, six rare and strange beasts appeared high in the sky, erupting toward Ye Jiuyao.

“Heavenly Wave!”

Rolling ocean waves manifested as if heaven and earth had suddenly changed. A tidal surge in the sky came crashing down like mountains toppling and seas overturning.

...

...

...

At that moment, the others also roared in fury, and dazzling light burst across the sky. The crowd hurriedly moved out, looking up into the void.

“Down!”

Ye Jiuyao showed no concern at all. With a sharp shout, the giant palm slammed down upon them, shaking heaven and earth.

The two forces collided in an instant, and in that moment a boundless power was unleashed, ravaging all around the world.

Boom, boom, boom...

That immense force was like a whale plunging into the sea, sending up monstrous waves that spread in all directions, terrifying beyond measure.