Chapter 481: Brutal

In full view of the crowd, Shi Chongwei was struck dead with a single slap from Princess Changyue. This scene undoubtedly startled many people present.

A chill ran down the spines of the members of the Song, Murong, and Jin families. They were terrified that Princess Changyue would hold them responsible as well.

However, Princess Changyue simply held up Shi Chongwei's severed head and walked over to Li Yu.

"Mansion Master Li, I failed to properly manage my subordinate, allowing him to delay the Peach Blossom Banquet."

"I have taken his life to punish him for his presumption. Later, I will present a humble gift as compensation!"

Princess Changyue said coolly.

"Your Highness is too courteous!" Li Yu replied, both flattered and terrified.

'He hadn't expected that someone of Princess Changyue's status and position would actually consider the feelings of a mere mansion master like him.'

Then, Princess Changyue turned to look at the distant sky, her tone shifting. "When my subordinate makes a mistake, I can clean house."

"But now that this immortal maiden has intervened, the situation is no longer something I can control."

Li Yu's heart trembled as he, too, looked over.

He saw a vast torrent of Spiritual Power sweeping across the sky like a raging sea. Beneath that furious assault, Ye Chen's figure seemed exceptionally small and insignificant!

"Rise!"

Ye Chen gritted his teeth and let out a deep roar!

An eerie, blood-red divine flame swirled to life around him. His aura flared as he attempted to shatter Fairy Luoxia's blockade in one move.

Fairy Luoxia's expression was icy, her light veil swaying. With a flick of her finger, the space around her suddenly erupted with intense, booming rumbles.

Ripples spread through space as a powerful force, as immense and heavy as an ancient Divine Mountain, bore down and directly suppressed the blood-red flames.

As if struck by a massive blow, Ye Chen's body began to crack apart. Blood-red divine flames, mixed with his own blood, streamed from the fissures in his flesh, creating a truly tragic sight.

"Damn it!"

"Are we just going to let an outsider like her run rampant here?"

Li Jianyin couldn't watch any longer. The ancient sheath in his hand suddenly flared with a powerful aura as an invisible sword light began to emerge from its depths.

"Stop!"

Hong Cangkuang's expression changed drastically. He rushed in front of Li Jianyin and pressed down on the sword sheath in his hand.

"Damn old man, are you trying to stop me?" Li Jianyin glared, his eyes blazing like stars.

"Are you trying to get the entire prefecture annihilated?"

"Even if you don't care about yourself, you have to consider your father!"

"This could even affect the Heaven-Reaching Sword Institute, all the way back in the Central Province!"

Hong Cangkuang berated him, his voice and expression severe.

"I..." Li Jianyin's expression wavered.

"Elder Hong is right."

Princess Changyue approached with graceful steps.

She spoke calmly, "That immortal maiden's origins are beyond our imagination. Fellow Daoist Li, it would be best if you didn't act rashly."

Li Jianyin shot Princess Changyue a cold glance. He ignored her, turning his gaze back to the distant battlefield.

"So, are we just supposed to stand idly by and watch Fellow Daoist Ye Chen go to his death?"

Li Jianyin asked with a frown.

"It is regrettable, but this is indeed the most rational course of action at the moment."

Hong Cangkuang said gravely, "It's not that we are unwilling to help. The power that immortal maiden wields is simply too terrifying!"

"Even with all of us combined, we would be nothing more than cannon fodder to her. We wouldn't make the slightest difference!"

"How can that be..." Li Jianyin found it hard to believe.

'He knew Hong Cangkuang's strength better than anyone.'

'This unassuming old man was a genuine Void Realm Cultivator!'

'Yet Hong Cangkuang had just stated that before Fairy Luoxia, he was nothing more than cannon fodder!'

'How could Li Jianyin not be shocked?'

BOOM!

A terrifying explosion echoed between heaven and earth as Ye Chen was once again sent flying backward.

But before he could fly out of the bounds of the training grounds, Fairy Luoxia extended a slender, jade-like finger from afar and tapped gently.

BOOM!

Another violent boom thundered!

The space around Ye Chen suddenly shattered, creating a powerful shockwave.

Even an expert of the Divine Might Realm would have been instantly crushed, their body and spirit obliterated.

As for Ye Chen, he was sent flying, coughing up blood. There was no telling how many of his bones had been shattered.

"Master!"

Chiming roared in fury, a blazing aura erupting from his body and surging toward the heavens!

A torrent of divine flame gathered, forming a sharp spear in his palm. Resplendent crimson dao patterns coiled around the spear, radiating astonishing power.

Spear in hand, he soared into the air and charged at Fairy Luoxia.

"Insolence."

Like a lofty deity, Fairy Luoxia coldly looked down upon the ants struggling desperately in the mortal world.

She flicked her finger again. The space before her shattered, and a torrent of violent spatial power instantly engulfed Chiming.

With the space around him locked down, Chiming could not even dodge. His body was frozen in place, and he could only watch helplessly as the torrent of power rushed toward him.

"BREAK!!!"

Chiming brought the spear horizontally before him and roared. He strained so hard that blood began to seep from his brilliant, ruby-red eyes.

BOOM!

Chiming's voice cut off abruptly. Even his aura vanished.

The torrent of power surged through the void, erasing the insignificant ant from the sky as if it were a mere smudge being wiped away.

"CHIMING!!!"

Ye Chen's eyes nearly split from fury as he roared.

'But right now, he could barely protect himself, let alone save Chiming.'

"H... How could this happen?!"

"Did Chiming... really perish?"

Song Yubing's face went pale with fright, and a chill coursed through her.

Mo Tianyun, Luo Rou, and the others were also terrified, their faces drained of all color.

The Realm Spirit frowned. She looked up at Fairy Luoxia, who stood high in the distant sky. On the Realm Spirit's own face, identical to Luoxia's, a hint of coldness quietly emerged.

"Hm?"

At this moment, Fairy Luoxia also noticed the Realm Spirit, who had been hiding silently in the distance.

'Her face is identical to mine!'

It was only because Fairy Luoxia had never removed her veil in front of outsiders and rarely interacted with the cultivators of the Great Hong Dynasty.

That was why no one recognized the Realm Spirit's face.

Fairy Luoxia could tell at a glance that the being who looked exactly like her was not a Cultivator, but a Spirit Body.

'That face, identical to my own, is most likely just an illusion she conjured.'

'But what puzzled Fairy Luoxia was, how did this spirit know what she looked like?'

'Ever since leaving her sect to travel the world, she had never shown her true face to anyone, always keeping it covered with a light veil.'

'This veil was no ordinary artifact; it was capable of blocking all forms of spiritual perception.'

'And yet, this Spirit Body before her somehow knew her true appearance and was even displaying it for all to see!'