Chapter 2718 Pressure from All Sides

A stern voice reverberated across the arena as Zhuang Shiliu’s expression turned to ice. Everyone could see that his patience had snapped.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Feng Qixi said aloud, “You want to hand me over to the Origin Sky Pavilion? Fine. I’ll be their successor next month anyway. Consider it an opportunity to get familiar with my new environment in advance.”

Clad in black martial attire, her hair tied back in a ponytail, with long, straight legs and a heroic, graceful bearing, she exuded a presence that made many men pale in comparison. Even before Zhuang Shiliu, she showed not the slightest trace of fear.

Lin Xun watched the scene unfold, equally astonished. Just as Feng Qixi stepped off the arena, she suddenly turned back. Her star-like eyes fell upon Lin Xun.

“Junior Brother, there may be some in this sect who see you as a thorn in their side, but there are many more who will stand for rules, justice, and fairness.”

With that, she strode away, and did not spare another glance for Zhuang Shiliu, whose face had turned livid with rage. The atmosphere in the arena fell into a tense silence. No one had anticipated Feng Qixi would act like this. Did she truly believe her strength was inferior to Lin Xun’s?

No. She simply refused to be used as a pawn!

For this reason, she chose to tear all pretenses apart with Zhuang Shiliu before everyone’s eyes, laying everything bare, even at the risk of offending some powerful figures. However, it was clear that Feng Qixi was prepared to burn her bridges and no longer cared about the consequences

“That’s Senior Sister Feng Qixi!”

“Well done, Senior Sister Feng Qixi!”

“We, successors of the Origin Sect, should have such integrity and courage, staying true to our hearts and speaking out against injustice!”

A wave of cheers erupted. Successors from the Nine Peaks felt their blood stir as they shouted her name. Each cry was like a slap across Zhuang Shiliu’s face, leaving him burning with humiliation.

“Silence!” He roared, crushing the uproar.

His expression darkened as he declared, “Feng Qixi’s concession is full of suspicious circumstances. I will have the elders of the Origin Sky Pavilion investigate this matter personally. If it is proven she deliberately violated assessment rules, she will be punished!”

The crowd fell silent, stunned. Zhuang Shiliu’s words made it sound as though he planned to take on Feng Qixi! All of a sudden, fury surged among the successors.

Compared to Lin Xun, Feng Qixi was a veteran core successor of the Origin Sect, widely respected and highly influential. If Zhuang Shiliu retaliated against her, who among them would not be enraged?

Despite that, Zhuang Shiliu ignored their reaction. Expressionless, he said coldly, “The sect will give a fair judgement on Feng Qixi’s matter. For now, we proceed with the third round of the assessment.”

Just as he was about to announce the name of the next opponent, a low, icy voice cut through the silence, “I concede the third match.”

Shua!

All eyes turned to the speaker. It was a man with a lean frame, bronze-colored skin, and a face as sharp and chiseled as if carved from stone. His aura was obscure and restrained, not eye-catching at first glance, yet anyone who looked at him felt a stabbing pain in their eyes. It was as though before them stood not a man, but a volcano on the verge of eruption, brimming with savage and violent power.

Liu Yunfeng, successor of the Third Peak! He was a ruthless character who might be inferior to Feng Qixi in terms of foundation and inferior to Shen Zaidao in terms of background, but he was far more savage in nature than them both.

On the battlefield, his savagery was unmatched. No matter the opponent, he fought as though he had nothing to lose, utterly indifferent to his own life, like a madman. To him, life and death were nothing more than drifting clouds.

Over the years, it was this innate ferocity that had carved him a fearsome reputation throughout the Nine Peaks. Normally, few were willing to spar with him because he was simply too ruthless. Even when practicing with his own sect brothers, he fought with the same lethal ferocity, as if it were a battle to the death.

In the eyes of others, he was like a peerless killer, a man who disregarded life and death, caring only for the fight itself. When everyone saw that Liu Yunfeng had been arranged to appear in the third round of the assessment, countless expressions changed.

Even Ninth Peak Master Qin Wuyu felt a chill in his heart and was inwardly furious. To send someone who disregarded life and death into an assessment match...the intention was clear: Lin Xun would not be allowed to pass no matter what!

With Shen Zaidao, Feng Qixi, and now Liu Yunfeng, the opponents chosen for these three rounds were enough to bar even the most gifted true disciples of the Nine Peaks from becoming core disciples! Even most core disciples would struggle to succeed under such circumstances.

Furthermore, all of this was aimed at a newcomer like Lin Xun. It was no different from openly declaring that the Origin Clarity Pavilion had no intention of allowing Lin Xun to pass! How could Qin Wuyu not be enraged?

At that moment, a wave of murmurs swept across the arena, filled with disbelief and anger.

Liu Yunfeng!

Only now did the crowd realize that the three opponents chosen against Lin Xun had clearly been arranged with malicious intent. However, before their anger could ignite, an unexpected scene unfolded.

Liu Yunfeng stepped onto the arena and bluntly announced his withdrawal from the duel. The declaration shocked everyone, instantly reminding them of Feng Qixi’s earlier concession.

Zhuang Shiliu was completely caught off guard. His face darkened, his anger breaking through as he shouted, “Impudence! Who gave you the right to concede?”

His eyes blazed with fury, his entire being radiating a terrifying aura.

Liu Yunfeng remained calm and said evenly, “If Feng Qixi can admit defeat of her own accord, why can’t I? Had I known that this was the Origin Clarity Pavilion’s arrangement, I would never have agreed to participate.”

“You dare to slander the Origin Clarity Pavilion?” Zhuang Shiliu’s voice was cold as frost.

Liu Yunfeng replied without flinching, “There are some things I don’t think are appropriate to say in front of so many people. So please, Deacon Zhuang, don’t force me. Otherwise, I fear today’s matter will only spiral out of control.”

With that, he turned and strode away without sparing another glance, leaving Zhuang Shiliu trembling with fury.

Around the Heaven-Derived Dao Arena, the high-ranking figures each wore different expressions, all seemingly lost in thought.

Not appropriate to say in front of so many...?

It was clear that Liu Yunfeng’s appearance in this assessment was anything but simple! At this point, the crowd could no longer restrain themselves. Voices erupted in every direction, boiling with outrage.

“There’s definitely scheming behind this!”

“The Origin Clarity Pavilion must give us an explanation!”

“Junior Brother Lin Xun may be a newcomer, but how can he be treated with such blatant injustice? If he can be oppressed today, who will be next tomorrow?”

“How can the sect’s rules be trampled on like this?”

Furious cries rang out one after another, all directed at Zhuang Shiliu, and the situation was on the verge of spiraling out of control. What was supposed to be Lin Xun’s assessment had now turned into a storm of unexpected upheavals.

First, Feng Qixi admitted defeat, and then Liu Yunfeng withdrew. All of it pointed to one thing: there was something seriously wrong with this assessment! Standing alone in the arena, Lin Xun was stunned. He had never imagined things would unfold this way. It was completely beyond his expectations.

When he looked at Zhuang Shiliu, now besieged by public outrage and condemned from every direction, a cold sneer tugged at his lips.

“Zhuang Shiliu, our Ninth Peak demands an explanation from you!”

Suddenly, Qin Wuyu spoke up, questioning Zhuang Shiliu in the name of the Ninth Peak’s master. The arena was instantly thrown into turmoil, the atmosphere more turbulent than ever.

Lin Xun was taken aback. He had never expected that Qin Wuyu, who had been openly resistant to him from the very beginning, would now step forward at such a critical moment to speak on behalf of him.

Lin Xun couldn’t help but think of Qin Wuyu’s words on the day he joined the Ninth Peak,

“As long as you don’t violate the sect’s rules, no matter what happens, I will stand behind you.”

Now, as Lin Xun looked at Qin Wuyu in the distance, his heart stirred. For the first time, he felt a genuine sense of belonging to the Ninth Peak. Zhuang Shiliu’s expression shifted uneasily.

As a Nirvana Spirit Immortal, he had weathered countless storms in his life. Although he was only a deacon of the Origin Clarity Pavilion, his authority was no less than that of the nine peak masters.

Now, for the first time in many years, he felt cornered, trapped in a predicament he could neither control nor resolve. The three matches had all ended in ways he had never expected. Shen Zaidao had been defeated far too quickly, Feng Qixi had conceded, and Liu Yunfeng had withdrawn. Each turn of events completely blindsided him.

In addition, faced with the furious accusations of countless successors of the nine peaks and the direct questioning of Qin Wuyu, he was struck by a chilling realization: If this matter could not be properly resolved, the first to suffer would be none other than himself, the chief examiner!

Drawing several deep breaths, he forced himself to remain calm before speaking, “Everyone, it’s true that today’s assessment encountered some irregularities, but I believe the sect will give a satisfactory explanation. The assessment has already concluded, so please disperse for now.”

Clearly, he was attempting to stall for time, hoping to seize an opportunity to turn the situation around. Unfortunately for him, his evasive answer only fanned the flames.

“Hmph! Zhuang Shiliu, unless you give the Ninth Peak a proper explanation today, I won’t leave!” Qin Wuyu’s voice was cold and unyielding.

“That’s right! None of us from the Ninth Peak will leave until this is settled!” Qin Ruoling and the other successors of the Ninth Peak all spoke out one after another.

Only Zheng Qian stood aside, his face dark and wooden, saying nothing. But clearly, no one cared what he thought.

“This matter concerns not just the Ninth Peak, but the assessment of every true disciple across all nine peaks. How can we possibly let it end like this?” said Tian Wucuo, master of the Seventh Peak.

“Zhuang Shiliu, what we want to know now is that: was this assessment arranged by you alone, or by the Origin Clarity Pavilion?” The Eighth Peak’s master, Cang Zhongxue, pressed coldly.

“In my view, it would be best to have the Origin Sky Pavilion intervene and investigate. A newcomer has just joined the sect and already faces such oppression. If word of this spreads, how will our Origin Sect preserve its reputation?” The Fifth Peak’s master, Yu Xiangting, and the Sixth Peak’s master, Wen Dongmian, also spoke in succession.

All at once, the gathered high-ranking figures turned on Zhuang Shiliu, pushing him to the crest of the storm. A cold dread gripped him as he realized how grave the situation truly was. Never had he imagined the situation would spiral so wildly to the point it was now utterly beyond his control.

He couldn’t help but cast his gaze into the distance. The Second Peak’s master, Yun Tianming, wore a blank expression. The Third Peak’s master, Nan Bohong, stood in silence. The Fourth Peak’s master, Mu Yunzhen, had already turned his head away.

It was obvious these three intended to stand idly by! First Peak Master Yue Wuchou had already departed with Shen Zaidao. However before leaving, he had demanded that Zhuang Shiliu give a satisfactory explanation.

In this moment, Zhuang Shiliu’s composure shattered entirely.