Chapter 2235 - As Soon as Your Performance Ends, I’ll Take the Stage

A blood-smeared jade pendant had left a Master God frantic with anger, and he’d repeatedly lost his usual deportment!

The sight left the entire crowd astonished.

Just what kind of secrets are hidden in that jade pendant? Why is a Master God like Zhan Yu so freaked out about it?

“No amount of ferocity will do you any good,” Si Ming laughed heartily. “That is, unless you kill me in a single hit. But... are you capable of that?”

Zhan Yu’s entire body seethed with murderous intent, and his eyes were bloodshot. Were it possible, he really would have loved nothing more than to kill Si Ming on the spot.

“Zhan Yu, what could possibly be more important than life and death? It’s just a jade pendant. How is it worth losing your composure like this?” Master God Xun Hong frowned and chastised him.

But Si Ming chuckled. “To him, life and death might well be unimportant, but if a certain secret comes to life, his death alone won’t be enough to fix it.”

Zhan Yu’s expression shifted erratically, but he didn’t deny it.

Xun Hong’s heart sank.

The distant onlookers, meanwhile, were thoroughly intrigued. It was obvious to all of them that Si Ming had come prepared. The treasure he held might not have been shockingly powerful, but it was enough to threaten a Master God!

The bald old man, meanwhile, was ashen with anger, but he dared not say a word.

Zhan Yu’s face alternated red and green. He was obviously furious to the extreme, but he dared not take any reckless action.

The situation had shifted subtly, and the Xi Family finally saw a thread of hope.

Can this mysterious Ai Kun really save us from this catastrophe?

“Seems to me that we should just attack directly and seize or kill him. That will easily solve the problem!” a gray-robed, gaunt old man said gravely.

He too was a Master God, and he hailed from another peak faction of the Spirit Firmament Divine Continent.

“Exactly what I had in mind,” said Xun Hong, his eyes surging with murderous intent.

But Si Ming just laughed and waved his sleeves.

Whoosh!

A dozen or so treasures of all different types floated into the air: broken sabers, worn-out armor, a seemingly ordinary stick of candied hawthorn... They seemed completely random, and a few didn’t even qualify as treasures.

The strangest of all was a blue women's

dudou

bodice embroidered with mandarin ducks.

All of the Master Gods accompanying Xun Hong instantly looked stricken.

“Damn you! How did you get your hands on my clan’s ancestral armor?”

“Impossible! How did you find that broken saber!?”

“You bastard! What’s happened to my great-grandson? Hurry up and tell me!”

...All of them were frantic and visibly enraged, bristling like cats after their tails were stepped on. Some of the Master Gods didn’t say anything, but their expressions were still as unsightly as could be.

The distant onlookers were, without exception, left wide-eyed and tongue-tied.

The ten-plus Master Gods accompanying Xun Hong all hailed from different top factions. Their combined strength was enough to crush the Xi Family with ease.

Yet now, “Ai Kun” had seized all of them by the balls!

Who wouldn’t have been astonished by this development?

The most unsettling part was that this “Ai Kun” had obviously come prepared. Otherwise, he could never have revealed all of these hidden cards and threatened so many Master Gods at once!

This was just too terrifying. How on earth did he uncover all of those Master Gods’ weak points? And how did he find just the right objects and hostages to target them?

The more the crowd thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed!

Si Ming, meanwhile, laughed and pointed to the bodice embroidered with mandarin ducks. “Ol’ Xun Hong, care to claim this?”

The crowd fell silent.

That bodice obviously belongs to a woman. How could it possibly have anything to do with Master God Xun Hong?

It’s... really enough to get the imagination running wild.

Everyone keenly sensed Master God Xun Hong’s face rapidly reddening until it was the deep purple of soy sauce. The veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes went bloodshot.

Even his qi grew fierce and explosive, as if he was on the verge of losing it at a moment’s notice!

“No way, no way? You’re already angry?” Si Ming said with feigned surprise. “You’re using the lives of the entire Xi Family to threaten Su Yi. All I did was threaten you with a few little toys and trinkets. Is it really worth losing your temper over?”

Xun Hong said slowly and clearly, “Don’t push your luck any further. What exactly are you after?”

“What am I after?” Si Ming wiped the smile off his face and said, “This is called ‘trying diplomacy before resorting to violence.’ You clearly have no scruples, so I’m just giving you a taste of your own medicine. That’s not unreasonable, is it?”

The distant onlookers’ expressions grew strange.

Waves of emotion coursed through the Xi clansmen’s hearts. All of them were touched.

“I’m asking what you’re trying to accomplish!” Master God Xun Hong roared in fury.

The atmosphere was instantly stifled and oppressive.

“Kneel, apologize, and leave, the further the better,” Si Ming said solemnly. “Do so, and I guarantee that all of your worries will vanish within three days.”

Silence fell over the crowd. Even the birds ceased their song.

The onlookers almost dared not believe their ears.

He wants lofty Master Gods to kneel and apologize!? Has he gone insane?

Xun Hong and the other Master Gods lost their tempers too. Their murderous intent rose into the firmament.

“If you’ve got the guts, just attack,” Si Ming said calmly. “After all, in my eyes, you people are just an appetizer. If you aren’t to my taste, I can just dump you into the trash.”

Xun Hong and the others were obviously on the verge of losing it.

What are we supposed to call this? This has gotten off to a terrible start! How could a variable like this have arisen just as we were about to attack the Xi Family?

Suddenly, a low, icy voice rang out. “Are disciples of the unknown territory ‘Clear Breeze Daoist Temple’ really such contemptible scoundrels?”

Practically simultaneously, a glittering golden cage enveloped Si Ming out of nowhere.

It emanated a holy, ageless air, and it was searingly bright and resplendent. Its light illuminated the nine heavens, and it was extraordinarily imposing.

The whole crowd was stunned.

Which expert just intervened?

Before long, the crowd noticed that a man in elegant, wide-sleeved golden robes had appeared in their field of view.

Uproar ensued as they realized who this new arrival was.

Jin Dubai, a high elder of Endless Transformations Divine Mountain and an Eight-Tribulation Master God!!

It was only after Jin Dubai spoke that the crowd realized that the mysterious, silver-robed Ai Kun was from an unknown territory, Clear Breeze Daoist Temple!

“I’d take that as a compliment, but surely you’re exaggerating. When it comes to debased, despicable behavior, I’m far inferior to you people,” Si Ming said with a laugh.

As he spoke, he raised his hand, and a tide of temporal power surged forth, assailing the golden cage.

The cage’s ageless, holy luster instantly receded and dimmed.

When Si Ming took a step forward, the cage collapsed around him.

His practically miraculous methods impressed even many of the Master Gods, and the way they looked at Si Ming changed.

“Is this the power of the Lotus Seed of Light and Shadow? Taboo treasures really are unbelievable,” Jin Dubai said gravely, his eyes flashing with divine radiance. “This is no place for a junior like you, so I’ll give you a chance. Leave immediately, or else, I’m afraid you won’t be able to hold onto the Lotus Seed of Light and Shadow much longer!”

The Lotus Seed of Light and Shadow, a taboo treasure!

The crowd was stunned.

“I said, I’m here today to give Su Yi a big present. I’ve yet to give him his gift. How could I just leave?” Si Ming swept his gaze across Xun Hong and the others. “These appetizers aren’t enough; they’re too unimportant.”

He looked at Jin Dubai and smiled. “Seems to me that your head’s worth something. Why not let me pluck it to add volume to my gift?”

“Hah? Seems to me that you’re really sick of living,” Jin Dubai couldn’t help but laugh coldly.

Si Ming laughed too, then took a deep breath and bellowed, “Little Blackbird, go tear his head off!”

Kcch!

A dark shadow appeared in the sky, seemingly out of nowhere, and shot directly for Jin Dubai.

Upon closer inspection, it was a pitch-black bird just over a foot tall. It was as quick as lightning, and its wings cleaved through the air like knives, tearing apart time and space with ease!

Jin Dubai’s pupils constricted. He summoned a tripod cauldron that bore down on the sky.

The blackbird suddenly waved its wing.

Wham!

The furnace was sent flying on impact, rolling through the air.

Meanwhile, the blackbird’s sharp claws were aimed at Jin Dubai’s head.

Jin Dubai instantly freaked out, his hair standing on end. He suddenly realized that this seemingly unassuming little bird was actually a terrifying Master God-level divine fowl!

When it lunged, its power was so terrifying that an Eight-Tribulation Master God like him felt suffocated.

“Go!” A snow-white fly whisk floated into the air, shielding Jin Dubai. Then, it suddenly expanded, seeming intent on capturing the blackbird.

But the blackbird was clever. It beat its wings, breaking through the strands of the fly whisk to return to Si Ming’s side.

Practically simultaneously, a dark-robed man with an otherworldly air appeared beside Jin Dubai and seized the fly whisk.

When the crowd saw him, they burst into uproar once more, and startled cries arose on all sides.

Shao Yunke!

The founder of Bright Heavens Daoist Court and a true Nine-Tribulation Master God. It had been a long, long time since he’d entered the outside world, yet now, this long-secluded, ancient expert had appeared before the crowd!

Furthermore, as of yet, he was the only Nine-Tribulation Master God here!

He was the one who’d intervened just now, saving Jin Dubai just in the nick of time!

The Bright Heavens Daoist Court was among the top factions that had joined forces with the Three Purities Daoist Court to target the Xi Family.

Their deep foundations placed them solidly in the top five factions in the Spirit Firmament Divine Continent!

The Xi Family experts had been somewhat hopeful of Si Ming’s chances, but when they saw Shao Yunke, this thread of hope went out, and their hearts sank.

A Nine-Tribulation Master God! Someone like that could easily wipe out the entire Xi Family by himself!

“It’s not good for a young man to be overly impetuous,” said Shao Yunke. He’d only just arrived, but his divine majesty had already connected heaven and earth and enveloped the entire area.

He gazed coolly at Si Ming. “A One-Tribulation Master God, that’s all, yet you think you can claim the head of an Eight-Tribulation Master God? You truly overestimate yourself.”

“If you aren’t a little impetuous, are you even young?” Si Ming said irritably.

He patted the blackbird on the shoulder. “Little Blackbird, you really are useless! That was a perfect opportunity, but you let it slip through your claws.”

The bird squawked indignantly, “Hey, you fake Ai Kun! If you’re capable, do it yourself!”

The crowd exchanged glances.

Is this any time for that young man to argue over nonsense with a bird?

Si Ming sighed. “It seems it’s time to reveal my true killer weapon.”

His expression was suddenly solemn. He gazed into the surrounding area and waved his hand.

“Uncles, aunts, grandpas, grandmas, big brothers, and big sisters, how about you quit hiding and help me overturn this chess game?”