“Xuanyuan Yuheng, are you still human? You killed Muxue’s lifebound beast?” Tianming’s face sank. Although Xuanyuan Muxue might not be Xuanyuan Yuheng’s biological sister, they had still grown up together. Not to mention that Xuanyuan Muxue respected Xuanyuan Yuheng like an elder brother.
Was Xuanyuan Yuheng possessed to attack Xuanyuan Muxue? Tianming was long unhappy with him, and there was no way Tianming could endure something like this.
“She deserved it. So who can she blame?” Xuanyuan Yuheng replied.
“How does she deserve it?”
“You’re not qualified to ask that. Li Tianming, listen up: I also have three lifebound beasts. They’re three dragons.”
“And?”
“One of them is hiding with Muxue right now. So it’ll kill Muxue if I don’t return at midnight.”
“What do you want.”
“Follow me. One of you will die, either you or Muxue. Pick one,” said Xuanyuan Yuheng.
“Why would I die?” Tianming sneered.
“As long as you don’t hide. Leave Taiji Peak Lake with me. I’ll release her after I kill you,” said Xuanyuan Yuheng.
“What about the Tribulation Artifact Hall’s palace lord, Jian Wufeng?” Tianming asked.
“That’s simple. Follow me into the Old Deepstar Path from the Heaven Branch and we’ll exit at the Earth Branch. He won’t follow us in. Tianming, you should listen to me. Otherwise, no one will be able to save Muxue once it hits midnight. I heard that you treat your friends well? I don’t believe that, and this is your opportunity to perform,” Xuanyuan Yuheng said indifferently.
Tianming merely looked at him coldly without replying.
Xuanyuan Yuheng turned around and narrowed his eyes into slits. “Follow me now. Don’t disappoint Muxue.”
Tianming noticed that Xuanyuan Yuheng’s eyes were red. When he turned around, he saw Jian Wufeng standing in the distance, and there was no way he could hear what they were talking about from so far away.
Xuanyuan Yuheng headed to the Old Deepstar Path with Tianming following behind him. Judging from Jian Wufeng’s attitude, the latter must be thinking that they were discussing their cultivation.
Meanwhile, Tianming was conversing with his lifebound beasts in the lifebound space. Tianming was boiling with rage. “He even went as far as killing Muxue’s lifebound beast. Is he insane?”
“I already guessed that he wouldn’t give up since he failed his previous assassination attempt,” said Ying Huo.
“It’s my fault for being too confident and dragging Muxue down. You don’t have to go through this without me,” said Tianming.
“There’s nothing we can do about it. I didn’t expect that he would be so deranged,” replied Ying Huo.
“Why do I feel like he’s got a screw loose? Do you think there’s another reason why his mind is so twisted?” Meow Meow rolled its eyes.
“That’s a possibility,” said Tianming.
“What do you plan to do now?” Ying Huo asked.
“Xuanyuan Yuheng wants me to fight him in a deathmatch, and we can only get through this if I defeat him. Otherwise he won’t let Muxue off,” replied Tianming.
“I guess he hasn’t placed Muxue somewhere nearby then,” said Ying Huo.
“That’s right. So we have to put him under control!”
“This asshole is ruthless. Honestly speaking, it’s time for us to resolve this grudge with him,” replied Ying Huo.
“But it’s a pity that he’s keeping his eyes on me right now. There’s no way I can find anyone for help,” said Tianming.
Xuanyuan Yuheng had planned well just to bring Tianming along with him. Just when Tianming was thinking about seeking help, Xuanyuan Yuheng said, “Don’t think about trying to get help. I’ll kill myself if you enrage me, and Muxue will die with me! Li Tianming, I’m giving you a chance to prove that you’re stronger than me. Don’t disappoint me. I have no grudge with Muxue, and I don’t want her to die.”
“Looks like you know what you’re doing,” Tianming said.
“That’s for sure. I only want you dead,” replied Xuanyuan Yuheng.
“That’s the confusing part. When did I offend you?”
“Haha.”
It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the Old Deepstar Path. The three branches were linked together by the Old Deepstar Path, and one could head to the Earth Branch through it by going backward. When they entered the Old Deepstar Path, Jian Wufeng didn’t follow.
Jiang Wufeng had been staying outside all this time while Tianming was in the Old Deepstar Path. Passing through the Old Deepstar Path, Tianming and Xuanyuan Yuheng arrived at the Earth Branch.
“It looks like your head is clear since you can think of using this method to get rid of Jian Wufeng. It looks like you’re just sick in the head,” commented Tianming.
Xuanyuan Yuheng didn’t say a word, only looked at Tianming coldly. He quickened his steps and Tianming followed him. They took remote paths, and they rarely encountered anyone along the way. Tianming didn’t have a choice, since Muxue was in Xuanyuan Yuheng’s hands. So Tianming could only leave the Taiji Peak Lake and head south.
This late at night, the surroundings were covered in snow and darkness. When they arrived at a cliff, Xuanyuan Yuheng abruptly turned around. Only the two of them were there by themselves.
“Li Tianming, don’t even think of using that pagoda again. If there’s no result before midnight, Muxue will still die. You don’t have much time left,” Xuanyuan Yuheng’s indifferent voice sounded out. The golden eye on his forehead was bloodshot and looked like the eye of a demon.
“Release Muxue if I defeat you. She’s innocent. Come at me if you have a thing with me. You’re a piece of garbage for getting the innocent involved. Xuanyuan Yuheng, I’ll be honest with you—I’m looking down on you right now. When we first met, I felt that you were majestic. But right now, you’re just a fool to me,” said Tianming with his eyes narrowed into slits.
“So realistic?” Xuanyuan Yuheng laughed. The baleful aura around him became even colder, and a murderous aura grew in his eyes. Xuanyuan Yuheng looked utterly different right now. The baleful aura around him suddenly grew even more robust and he said, “Everyone’s a fool, revolving around you and treating you like a genius in the divine realm. Sorry, but I refuse to accept it. All you have right now was given to you by Her Eminence, and you don’t deserve it!
“Why don’t I deserve it?” Tianming sneered.
“Her Eminence is the goddess of the Archaic House of Xuanyuan. She’s my goddess!” Xuanyuan Yuheng roared, causing an avalanche. Snow rolled down like a landslide, but none of the snow managed to get near them.
“Your goddess?” Tianming laughed.
“That’s right. I attended her for twenty years, and I’ve devoted everything to her. I’ll even ignite my soul for her! She’s my everything. And you, you’re a stain in her life! Today, I’ll cleanse this stain for her!” But the avalanche was too loud for Tianming to hear anything. He only knew that Xuanyuan Yuheng had gone insane.
“Die!!” Xuanyuan Yuheng roared like a maniac. Two dragons suddenly appeared beside him. Xuanyuan Yuheng had three dragons as his lifebound beasts, and they were famous in the Archaion Sect. They were known as the Nine-Five Emperor. The Nine, Five, and Emperor each represented a dragon.
‘Nine’ was the nine-winged silverblade saintdragon. It had three hundred and ninety-nine stars, roughly on the same level as Lan Huang and Meow Meow. It was a dragon covered in silver scales, each of which was shaped like a crescent moon. The most distinct feature about it was its nine blade-like wings. It had four wings on each side and one giant one standing vertically on its back like a shark.
‘Five’ referred to the five-headed goldperion dragon. It was a golden dragon with three hundred and ninety-two stars, five gigantic golden heads, and a colossal body. It had a similar style as Lan Huang.
As for ’Emperor,’ it referred to the emperor abyssalfiend saintdragon, but it wasn’t there with them. It was clear that the emperor abyssalfiend saintdragon was holding Muxue’s life in its claws.
Xuanyuan Yuheng stood among the avalanche with his two dragons. The dragons looked ferocious, which made Xuanyuan Yuheng look even more majestic. He had the temperament of one of the best disciples in the Archaion Sect. But it was a pity that the eerie aura coming from his vertical eye ruined his disposition, making it cold and sinister.
Xuanyuan Yuheng’s weapon was a Draconic Swordbreaker, an artifact with five tribulation patterns. The weapon was a king among weapons. But in Xuanyuan Yuheng’s hand, it seemed to have changed into a demonic weapon. When Xuanyuan Yuheng poured his death tribulation energy into it, it only seemed even more sinister.
“Li Tianming, come and fight me. Only the winner is fit to become Her Eminence’s disciple!” His aura shot into the sky. Tianming could no longer tell if Xuanyuan Yuheng still retained his sanity. Even his lifebound beasts looked more clear-headed than him.
“Her Eminence?” Tianming realized that Xuanyuan Yuheng had only been mentioning Feiling, which gave him a rough idea. It meant that he was one of her fanatic believers. Someone like him was terrifying, but the one he believed in was Xuanyuan Xi, not Feiling.
“It doesn’t matter what banner you’re wearing. You deserve to die for trying to threaten me with Muxue’s life!” Tianming wouldn’t change his mind. Tonight, only one person could leave this place alive.