Li Qiye no longer wanted to look at Sectional Leader Fu and Xu Hui, so he went to step outside. It was as if he was taking a stroll on an empty street. From outside the room, he calmly proclaimed: “I don’t care who the current master of the Nine Saint Demon Gate is. Demon King or Virtuous Paragon, whatever. If you want to follow general courtesy, fine. If not, then don’t, I will gladly reciprocate the treatment. Today, I will massacre all of the Nine Saint Demon Gate, I will send all of you down to meet the old chicken head.”
“Good! Good! How courageous! I will pull out your ligaments then flay your skin! Then we will see just how you are going to destroy our sect.” Xu Hui was at a loss for words. This was the most comedic event he had ever witnessed. This was the first time he had seen such an arrogant and ignorant individual.
Right now, Protector Mo and Nan Huairen wanted to dig a hole to hide in. A mortal proclaiming to destroy the Nine Saint Demon Gate? This was a sect that was extremely strong even when considering the Grand Middle Territory in its entirety. As a sect that ruled over a whole nation, who could actually massacre them?
Li Qiye ignored Xu Hui and kept on walking outside in a graceless manner.
“Bastard! Die!” Xu Hui soared into the air and sent his sword’s energy towards Li Qiye.
“Stand down!” A voice akin to thunder rang across the whole sect. No one could resist the authority that it contained. This was a might that went straight to the soul.
Due to this voice, even Xu Hui and Sectional Leader Fu couldn’t help but shiver as their limbs went limp.
“First Elder...” Sectional Leader Fu recognized this voice and was tremling in fear. He found himself unable to believe that such a small matter caught the attention of the first elder.
The voice continued to roar across the sky: “It was a fair competition. When killed, one can only blame oneself for not being as skilled.”
Legend states that the first elder was an Enlightened Being. This was a character whose strength was only below the Demon King himself. His presence today made everyone think that there was more to the mortal than meets the eye.
“Our marriage alliance between the Nine Saint Demon Gate and the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect is our sect’s tradition.” The first elder, ignoring the death of Du Yuanguang, let his thunderous voice strike again: “However, marriage is not a small matter. If the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect wants to marry our prime descendant, he has to prove that he is worthy.”
After hearing the words of the first elder, Li Qiye regained his tranquility and said: “Finally, the Nine Saint Demon Gate still has someone who will take responsibility. If you want to follow the tradition, then I shall do the same. You want to test me? So be it, I accept. Picking a day is not as good as meeting the day; we shall conduct the test right now. To marry your descendant is my choice. If anyone dares to disrespect me, I will teach them a lesson.” [1. Another proverb saying that there is no reason to wait.]
After he finished his words, Li Qiye walked right outside.
“It will be today.” With this sentence, the sky returned to its serene state.
Everyone started to scatter since no one dared to disrespect the first elder’s command. However, the consensus here was that Li Qiye did not know that the sky was high and the earth was wide. His arrogance seemed to know no bounds.
Protector Mo no longer cared for his image. He grabbed Li Qiye and carried him back into the room.
“You fool. If you want to die, please don’t bring our sect down with you.”
“Protector Mo, do you have to be so scared?” Li Qiye, unwilling to be carried back to the room, pushed Protector Mo’s hands away.
“You… You… You…” Protector Mo couldn’t help himself anymore and started to hyperventilate.
Nan Huairen cried like a mistreated bride: “Senior, do you know how strong the Nine Saint Demon Gate is right now? Let alone their elders and the Demon King, all of their protectors have the qualification to become Royal Nobles. Demon King Lun Ri could bring disaster to our sect with a single wave of his sleep. Back when their first elder was disarming the conflict, you should have taken the chance to nullify the problem.”
Li Qiye coldly replied: “Is that how it is? It is too late now. Plus, I prefer to talk with my fists.”
Of course, Li Qiye could not reveal his secrets. If the Nine Saint Demon Gate wanted to cause trouble, he would use this opportunity to test the integrity of the sect. Although he promised the Nine Saint Virtuous Paragon that he would take care of his descendants that year, if they didn’t know their rightful place, Li Qiye would be happy to cure them of their corruption.
It would also justify him taking the treasures of the Nine Saint Demon Gate.
Nan Huairen gave up, no longer wanting to speak or look at Li Qiye. He felt like he was conducting music for an ox. It was a waste of his energy. [2. Basically, an ox can’t hear or appreciate music, just like a dumb person can’t be appealed with reasoning.]
Protector Mo eventually regained his voice, but he could only scornfully say: “You better follow the rules and attend the trial. If you keep causing trouble, you won't have to worry about returning to the sect. No one can save you then.”
***
The trial was taking place in an ancient pavilion where two protectors acted as mediators. One of them was Protector Hua, the master of Xu Hui, and the other was Grand Protector Yu He, the strongest protector in the Nine Saint Demon Gate.
Visible auras surrounded the body of Protector Hua. It was as if his body was made out of a golden metal. As for the grand protector, his aura was much more intimidating. His Royal Noble strength seeped out in a sanguine color instead of a golden one.
Many disciples surrounded the pavilion because cultivating could be lonely and mundane at times. They were all eager for the opportunity to watch an entertaining spectacle. So many people were here that even a fly wouldn't be able to pass.
The group that opposed this marriage the most mainly consisted of male disciples. They all hoped for Li Qiye to fail his trial because they believed that he doesn't have the qualifications to become the husband of their goddess.