Chapter 555: The Grim Reaper Knocking

"Are you truly afraid, or just pretending?" Zhao Danming asked with a cold smile.

"I'm genuinely scared," Yun Xiao replied earnestly, looking at them. "The world is so dark and dangerous. I'm just a Rank 9 Arbiter Initiate, a mere commoner, with an elderly mother who could meet with any mishap at any time. How dare I oppose the likes of you, the scions of high officials? Rest assured, I'll keep my distance from the sisters from now on."

Zhao Danming laughed heartily, patting Yun Xiao on the shoulder. "Good! As for earlier, we were just joking. Don't take it to heart. By the way, you don't have any Projection Orbs on you, do you?"

"Nope." Yun Xiao extended his hand, showing it was empty.

"Good, very good." Zhao Danming exchanged a pleased glance with Chen Yu. "Being sensible saves you a lot of trouble."

"Indeed." Chen Yu nodded, then turned to the man behind him. "Brother Yong, anything to add?"

"No need." Dongfang Yong rose, giving Yun Xiao a cold glance before walking away. "Go rest and prepare for the Immortal Tournament selection."

"Agreed. The Soaring Thunder Leap was intense. I'll head back to my cultivation chamber and lie down to clear my mind," Zhao Danming said with a laugh.

In high spirits, Zhao Danming, Chen Yu, and Dongfang Yong left, while Yun Xiao returned to his own cultivation chamber as if nothing had happened.

From a distant high building, Jiang Haiyan watched the scene unfold.

"Sister, what's your conclusion?" Jiang Heqing asked.

Jiang Haiyan shook her head in disappointment. "Father usually judges people well, but he was wrong this time."

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Half an hour later, outside Zhao Danming's cultivation chamber, there was a knock on the stone door.

"Who is it?" Zhao Danming checked the time; it wasn't yet time to leave. He had just taken a Celestial Meditation Elixir to nurture his spirit and had been interrupted.

"Brother Zhao, it's me, Lu Yao," a clear voice called from outside.

"What do you want?" Zhao Danming's tone turned cold.

"The selection is about to start, and I'm short of something. I came to borrow a bit from you," Yun Xiao said from outside the door.

Hearing this, Zhao Danming's face twisted in irritation. How could this guy be so clueless? Did he really consider himself on their level? And now he wanted to borrow something?

"Borrow what?!" Zhao Danming gritted his teeth as he opened the stone door, ready to give the boy a slap.

BOOM!

The door had just opened a crack.

STAB!

An azure sword thrust through the gap, piercing Zhao Danming’s open mouth and exiting through the back of his head.

DRIP! DRIP! DRIP!

Blood and brain matter gushed from Zhao Danming’s mouth, flowing freely. His eyes widened in shock, blood pooling in them, almost popping out of their sockets.

The last thing he saw was a young man in white standing in the gap, wearing a harmless smile as he said, "Oh, nothing much. Just all of your belongings."

Then, everything went dark.

Yun Xiao withdrew the Heaven Burial Sword Soul, and Zhao Danming's body fell backward.

Before Zhao Danming hit the ground, Yun Xiao caught him with his foot, gently lowering him. He then took the Bag of Holding from Zhao Danming’s body.

With that done, he lifted Zhao Danming’s corpse and held it.

"Brother Zhao, you're merely at the peak of the Essence Manifestation Realm. You really thought you could threaten me? Now you’ve paid the price."

Yun Xiao dragged Zhao Danming’s body to the next room. Then, he knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Chen Yu asked from inside.

"It's me, Lu Yao, and Brother Zhao is here too," Yun Xiao said.

"You and Zhao Danming?" Chen Yu, puzzled, came to open the door.

BOOM!

The door opened, and Zhao Danming's body was shoved through, falling into Chen Yu’s arms.

"Zhao Danming, are you insane?" Chen Yu exclaimed.

What was with this hugging? As he pushed Zhao Danming away, he saw blood pouring from Zhao Danming’s mouth and his eyes wide and bloody. His face was frozen in terror.

"Huh?" Chen Yu suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine. "Lu Yao?!"

Disbelief filled Chen Yu's face. This was the heart of the Thunder Department. Moreover, it was the Divine Heaven Jade Purity Office's Hall of Soaring Thunder! They were about to participate in the Immortal Tournament selection as Rank 8 Arbiter Commanders.

How could murder be possible here?

Chen Yu spun around in horror! As his head turned, Yun Xiao’s azure sword, quick as lightning, tore through the air, piercing his brow in a blink.

Chen Yu’s body shuddered, his eyes rolling back.

"You, you..." He weakly reached out a hand, trembling as he pointed at Yun Xiao, his eyes filled with terror and confusion. Then, his world darkened.

THUD!

His body fell to the ground, embracing Zhao Danming in death.

"Chen Yu, you seemed like a decent sort, but how could you threaten someone with their mother?" Yun Xiao remarked with a click of his tongue. "That's not right. Forget about this life, be more careful in the next."

Yun Xiao collected his belongings, piled him with Zhao Danming, and then pierced them both with a single sword stroke.

Afterwards, he quietly watched as the two men's flesh, bones, and skin were swept into ash and smoke under the corrosive force of the Heaven Burial Sword Soul. Finally, only their rich garments remained.

Two Arbiter Commanders had died! And they were the children of Rank 6 Heavenly Officers!

Such an event was exceedingly rare in the annals of the Divine Heaven Jade Purity Office.

Nevertheless, Yun Xiao knew what he was doing. "One more left, but he's above the Essence Manifestation Realm. So, it's going to be a bit tougher to handle him."

Despite this, Yun Xiao headed towards the third cultivation chamber's grand door! He was about to knock on the stone door. But suddenly, at the entrance of the Eight Symbols Guard Pavilion, a group of powerful people walked in.

Liu Mumu was there to greet them. It was Jiang Taiping and Dongfang Sheng themselves! They didn't bother to hide their noise; their voices ringing out through the corridors.

Yun Xiao caught wind of them instantly. His hair stood on end! If these folks caught him, the consequences were unpredictable. At least, playing the role of Lu Yao would be over!

This was a moment of peril after an unexpected turn!

Yun Xiao stopped knocking and, without a word, turned and headed in another direction! It was towards the back hall of the western wing!

This was the temporary abode of Jiang Haiyan and Jiang Heqing, far superior to the cultivation chambers assigned to Yun Xiao and his peers.

Upon arriving, Yun Xiao's expression was stern, he didn't say a word, and just pushed the door and barged in!

Inside, the sisters were changing into their Arbiter armor, a flurry of white all around.

"Ah!" Jiang Heqing screamed, her face blushing.

Jiang Haiyan looked coldly at Yun Xiao. She gestured with her hand, and in an instant, the Arbiter armor covered their delicate bodies.

"Are you courting death?" Jiang Haiyan's eyes roiled with waves of anger, glaring intensely at Yun Xiao.

Yun Xiao approached them, his eyes intense, and said, "I just killed Zhao Danming and Chen Yu."

"What?" Jiang Heqing was stunned, her mind went blank.

"And then?" Jiang Haiyan was also shaken, then she bit her lip and asked, her eyes flowing with a cold light.

Yun Xiao stood before them, his gaze strong and domineering, and declared, "I want you sisters to provide me with an alibi."