Chapter 896 - Three Moves

Whatever happened within the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion was their affair. There was no place for an outsider to jump around like a monkey, meddling in matters beyond their right.

The elder from the Grand Banner Gate remained frozen under Liu Wuxie's gaze, unable to move a muscle. He was only at the early stage of the Nascent Transformation Realm—far too weak to withstand such overwhelming pressure.

The Grand Banner Gate had acted similarly during the Ten Grand Ceremony, making a scene like unruly clowns, only to be silenced when Mu Tianli shattered the elder's kneecaps on the spot.

Due to that, the Grand Banner Gate bore a deep grudge against the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion ever since, wishing for their destruction.

"Liu Wuxie, what have you done to me?!" the Grand Banner Gate's elder yelled after realizing he couldn't move.

Gasps echoed across the crowd. Liu Wuxie hadn't even touched him—he stood over a hundred meters away, and yet with just a single glance, he had immobilized the man completely.

It was a terrifying display, one that not even the sect masters of the ten major sects could replicate.

"Since your Grand Banner Gate is so eager to jump around," Liu Wuxie said coldly, "then I shall begin my bloodshed with you."

With a simple clenching motion of his hand, a horrifying scene unfolded.

The immobilized elder from the Grand Banner Gate instantly exploded into blood mist, his body reduced to nothing in an instant.

If not for Liu Wuxie's preceding words, no one would have even understood what had happened—only that the man was alive one second and gone the next.

A chill swept through the crowd as shock took hold.

Yu Bu, who had still clung to a faint sliver of hope, watched it die with the Grand Banner Gate's elder. His face turned ashen, all color draining away.

The strength displayed by Liu Wuxie had exceeded their comprehension.

Even the middle-aged man behind Bai Jin shot to his feet with shock reflected on his face.

"Elder Chai, what happened?" Bai Jin asked. He wondered if Liu Wuxie was powerful enough for Elder Chai to reveal such an expression.

"Spatial energy! He has comprehended a spatial technique! This is getting interesting now. That kid is useful to me. Capture him at all costs!" said the middle-aged man, his eyes gleaming with intrigue. His name was Chai Zhengbin, an expert who possessed unfathomable strength, invited by Bai Jin.

Bai Jin exhaled in relief at Chai Zhengbin's words. He had feared that Liu Wuxie's strength might be beyond even Chai Zhengbin's reach.

"Elder Chai, can you see through his cultivation?" Bai Jin asked.

"Third-level True Profound Realm!" Chai Zhengbin said, which made Bai Jin gasp in disbelief.

He couldn't believe Liu Wuxie had risen from the Astral River Realm to the True Profound Realm in over a year.

However, Bai Jin knew there was nothing to worry about as long as Liu Wuxie was still at the True Profound Realm. He was alone, even if he was strong, and there was no way he could be stronger than Chai Zhengbin.

On the other hand, Liu Wuxie acted as if nothing had happened after killing the Grand Banner Gate's elder and turned to look at Yu Bu once again.

This time, even the elders who had once sided with Yu Bu lowered their heads in silence, not daring to speak a word. Though they had supported him in the past, they could no longer deny the truth—Yu Bu had crossed a line.

He had violated the most fundamental rules of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, turning a blind eye while his disciple committed despicable acts.

Even if they wanted to defend him, what could they possibly say? Claim that Yu Bu was in the right? That would make them accomplices by default.

"Yu Bu," Liu Wuxie said, his voice calm but seething beneath the surface, "considering your status as a grand elder, I'll give you a chance. I'll let you strike three times. After that, your life and death will be left to fate."

No matter how far Yu Bu had fallen, he was still—technically—a grand elder of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. Even if the title now held little meaning, Liu Wuxie chose to grant him that final shred of dignity in front of the crowd.

This gesture instantly earned Liu Wuxie the approval of the onlookers. From beginning to end, he hadn't relied on his strength to trample others; he had shown restraint and a clear sense of justice, always considering the bigger picture.

As a result, no one could criticize his actions. Even an elder had to bear the consequences of his action.

"Liu Wuxie, I should've killed you back then!" Yu Bu growled, caught in a dilemma. He knew that if he backed down now, he'd be reduced to a laughingstock in front of the entire sect.

Left with no choice, he could only come forth and stand before Liu Wuxie. He was filled with regret for not killing Liu Wuxie when he could. But there was no use dwelling on it now, and he had to face the consequences of his action.

"What a joke! Do you think you could kill me back then?" Liu Wuxie sneered.

There were many people after his life, but there weren't many who could threaten him. Even when the Azure Crimson Gate's experts had surrounded him, he was able to escape unscathed.

Liu Wuxie's mocking words turned Yu Bu's face grim with humiliation.

"Sect Master, will we really just stand by and let them kill each other?" whispered several concerned elders as they approached Mu Tianli. "If either of them dies, it'll be a major blow to the sect's strength."

"It will only make things worse if we intervene," Mu Tianli replied, shaking his head. After all, Liu Wuxie had the reason and cause. Even if they wanted to intervene, could they genuinely stop Liu Wuxie?

He knew no one could stop Liu Wuxie once the latter set his mind on something.

"But there are so many eyes around, and we will be reduced to a laughingstock if we fight among ourselves now," one of the elders said. They didn't care who lived or died—only that the sect would suffer either way.

"You can speak in such a tone because it didn't happen to you. Would you give up if you were in Liu Wuxie's position?" Mu Tianli refuted.

The elders fell silent. If Jian Xing'er and Chen Ruoyan were their daughters... if it were their families imprisoned in that dungeon—would they still speak so righteously?

Had they been in Liu Wuxie's shoes and possessed his strength, they likely would've taken things even further.

Yu Bu stood before Liu Wuxie, his True Profound Realm aura surging out like a tidal wave, pressing down on everything around him.

"Liu Wuxie, I admit you're talented," Yu Bu sneered, his aura pressing down like a mountain, "but that doesn't change the fact that you're just a boy. If I were in your shoes, I'd have stayed in hiding for a few more years—waited until I was truly ready—before seeking revenge."

His tone was cold and final, making it clear: no one would be leaving this place alive today.

"You're right. I'm not you. There are some things I must do, no matter the cost. It's a matter of principle," Liu Wuxie replied. He had promised Mu Tianli that he would return to attend the Ten Grand Assembly.

He was a man of his word. If he couldn't even keep a promise, what right did he have to lead others or pass judgment on them?

Liu Wuxie's words left Yu Bu speechless. It took true courage to uphold a vow in the face of death—and that courage defined Liu Wuxie.

He had come, knowing full well it could cost him his life—all for a promise.

Before the crowd, Yu Bu finally made his move. The once-mighty grand elder raised his hand against a disciple.

He didn't draw a weapon—he simply struck out with his palm.

Though guilt weighed on him, and though he still bore the title of grand elder, to use a weapon against a junior would shame him beyond redemption. This was the last sliver of dignity he held onto.

The palm strike reached Liu Wuxie like a mighty gale. He was using the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's Torrent Force.

With his cultivation at the fourth-level True Profound Realm, his attack surged like a tidal wave toward Liu Wuxie.

He had made a breakthrough in the past year and reached the fourth level of the True Profound Realm. Even among the ten grand elders, only Gao Gu could rival him.

Mu Tianli watched the fight and was worried for Liu Wuxie. He didn't know if Liu Wuxie could face someone at the fourth-level True Profound Realm.

What would he think if he knew that Liu Wuxie had recently slain someone at the fifth-level Spirit Profound Realm?

As the palm approached, Liu Wuxie vanished, causing the attack to miss its mark.

However, Yu Bu had long anticipated this. He had split his strike into two, a clever tactic meant to catch Liu Wuxie no matter which way he dodged, closing in like a vice.

His palms roared like thunder, sending shockwaves through the air. A powerful gale followed, sharp enough to make the surrounding Nascent Transformation Realm cultivators clutch their ears in pain.

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The laws in the Southern Province couldn't rival the Central Plains, and the True Profound Realm was the limit here.

As Yu Bu's power surged, the space around them began to collapse, forming swirling black holes. It had been decades since Yu Bu last unleashed his full strength—and now, his ferocity had surpassed even his former self.

"Liu Wuxie, you can die now!" Yu Bu sneered and exerted more power into his attack, which descended like two colossal mountains.

"This much isn't enough to kill me!" Liu Wuxie's voice echoed, and everyone could only see him turning into a blur.

Most importantly, the surrounding space kept twisting and warping.

Liu Wuxie had yet to fully refine the Divine Fruits he had consumed along the way, but even so, his divine force had grown stronger, sharpening his perception of Dao techniques and allowing him to manipulate space with ease.

The world before him now resembled fractured mirrors—shimmering reflections layered over one another. No one could tell which image was truly him.

It was the clearest sign yet that he had begun to comprehend a strand of spatial law, inherited from the spatial beast he had encountered.

With more time to consolidate, he would be able to master spatial confinement, but the Great Divine Spatial Art was still a distant goal.

The Great Divine Spatial Art was a Dao technique capable of locking down on an entire world. However, Liu Wuxie could only change the laws around him now.

With a loud rumble, Yu Bu's attack missed the target again.

The onlookers in the surroundings watched with their brows locked. They couldn't comprehend how Liu Wuxie could dodge the attack of someone at the fourth-level True Profound Realm so effortlessly.

How many people who were present could accomplish such a feat?

Yu Bu's face darkened at this sight, and he didn't hesitate to unleash his third attack.

"This is bad!" Mu Tianli muttered, but it was too late for him to intervene.