501: Chapter 146 Forcing the Emptiness Saint to Kneel!

501: Chapter 146 Forcing the Emptiness Saint to Kneel!

“Let it be, this matter ends here.

Everyone, stop fighting, it’s all in giving me, Yao, some face.

In addition, those Saints who’ve taken items, don’t covet the broken Secret Realm any longer.

As for the trials of the geniuses, I wish no one else would interfere.

Otherwise, if our next generation’s growth faces destruction, it might also incite discontent among the other Four Great Mansions.

This time, our loss of geniuses has been quite severe.

If the ‘Genius Mansion’ in the Nine Origin Heavenly City is left with no presentable geniuses, all of us Saints from the Southern Wilderness will lose face, and thus, our status and right to speak.”

Yao sighed helplessly.

He could not deliberately help anyone, for he must not disrupt the balance of power and positions.

Therefore, he could only prevent those Saints who had taken items from targeting Zhou Yan or coveting that Secret Realm.

“Humph!”

“Since we’ve taken items, how could we shamelessly snatch that broken Secret Realm?”

“That Secret Realm is too inferior, broken, and not worth seizing.”

“This Zhou Yan is quite decent as a person, willing to forgo; I appreciate his style and won’t target him anymore.”

“I didn’t put in much effort, yet I still received something; the kid isn’t bad, and I will look after him appropriately.”

After Yao’s suggestion, those Saints who had taken items started to speak up one after another, as if seizing an opportunity to back down graciously.

Despite the obvious displeasure from the Emptiness Saint, Wuxu Saint, and the Yaochi Saint, they ultimately accepted Yao’s proposal, refraining from interfering in the trials of the young cultivators or purposefully targeting Zhou Yan.

Among those at the scene, Jiu Que had been watching with cold detachment.

He stood by Zhou Yan’s side, and Xiong Ba was not far from Zhou Yan either.

Clearly the most disapproving among them, Xiong Ba had several times considered unleashing killing moves but was suppressed by Wan Jian Tian.

“Now that the matters of the Secret Realm and the geniuses are settled, let’s discuss this Jiu Que.

He is an incarnation of profound evil from the Netherworld and must be eradicated root and branch, to prevent—”

Emptiness proposed with a sinister glare.

“You want to kill me?

Even if I die, I could take one or two of you Saints with me.

Why not give it a try?”

Jiu Que’s face remained cold.

Having been used as a live target by the Netherworld Palace Master and betrayed, his heart was nearly All Hope Lost.

Even now, following Zhou Yan, he felt lost and uncertain whether Zhou Yan was still plotting against him.

Sensitized by Emptiness’s words, Jiu Que showed signs of an imminent eruption.

Emptiness Saint’s pupils constricted, realizing that Jiu Que was like a keg of gunpowder ready to explode, immediately grasping that his plan to strike at Zhou Yan had become ineffective.

“If you agree to serve under one of us cultivators, naturally, you can avoid conflict.

Changing perspectives, can you truly believe that humans have no influence in the Life and Death Illusion Realm of the Netherworld?”

Emptiness’s gaze flickered, yet he pressed on.

“Now, I will only follow Zhou Yan, and I am willing to serve under him.

If you have objections, make your move; I’m nearly All Hope Lost anyway.

If you have no objections, get lost on your own.”

Jiu Que’s tone was frosty, devoid of sentiment.

“You say serve and you will; Zhou Yan, if you can prove he is willing to serve you, have him kneel and kowtow as a sign of his commitment.”

Emptiness continued to provoke Zhou Yan, seeking to damage the relationship between Zhou Yan and Jiu Que.

Zhou Yan’s gaze sharpened, and intense hatred filled his heart, yet he did not allow any emotional fluctuation to show.

He knew that any sign of emotion might provoke murderous intents among the Saints.

And for a Saint to meticulously plot against a cultivator of the Sword Void Realm, even if that cultivator was a genius, it would be futile.

The result would be certain death.

Yet, under these circumstances, if Jiu Que were truly made to kneel, it would amount to blatant disregard for him.

What Jiu Que needed now was consolation, not suppression.

Forcing him to kneel would likely lead to immediate betrayal and rebellion.

Thus, after briefly weighing his options, Zhou Yan suddenly spoke up: “Excuse my interruption, but before we discuss Jiu Que’s submission, might I ask Emptiness Saint, do you serve under the Thunder Origin Sword God?”

Zhou Yan’s tone was calm, his voice not loud, but the question immediately made Emptiness’s face turn unsightly.

“A mere Sword Void dares to question a Saint?”

Wuxu female saint’s face turned ice-cold as a killing intent bore down on Zhou Yan.

“What’s so great about being a Saint?

He is my Xiong Ba’s Brother Li; is he not allowed to ask?”

Xiong Ba’s expression was dark.

“He is my Bai Ying’s master; he doesn’t have the right to question a Saint?”

Bai Ying spoke as well, her voice chilling.

As she spoke, a force of the Soul Path slammed fiercely against the oppression of the Wuxu Saint, protecting Zhou Yan.

“As the master of the Frost Snow Saint Sword, I believe my master has the right to question and even command me to slay you.

Could it be that because the Frost Snow Saint Sword hasn’t struck, you’ve all overlooked my presence?”

The Frost Snow Saint Sword flew out, positioning itself in front of Zhou Yan in the void, circling beside him like a wave of light, while conveying a message.

Wan Jian Tian remained silent, but behind him, twelve Light Sabers formed the shadowy visage of the Evil King’s Twelve Scythes, fanning out in a dazzling array like a peacock’s tail, appearing exceedingly resplendent.

But amidst the splendor lurked boundless lethal intent.

Proclaimed as the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts, his Ten Thousand Ghost Sword Dao would have the most terrifying boost to his combat power here.

The atmosphere instantly tensified again.

“Emptiness Saint, we too came from a generation of genius cultivators,” Zhou Yan sighed, then spoke again.

He did not want to play the mediator, as he harbored a bellyful of rage himself.

Yet, he couldn’t avoid the role, because once the battle began, the Southern Wilderness would be thoroughly destroyed, and all a genius had in the Southern Wilderness would be lost, reducing them to true ants.

He could consider this, so could Emptiness and Wuxu—both must have considered it.

But everyone knew that people like Wan Jian Tian and Xiong Ba would not care about the lives of others in the slightest.

The death of the geniuses of the Southern Wilderness, the destruction of the place—it would not cause them to bat an eye unless it involved someone they cared for.

“Fine, let this matter rest,” Emptiness said with a harsh tone.

“I hope, Jiu Que, you will not do anything to violate the rules of this world, or else, when the time comes, it won’t just be us Saints who come for your life, but all the powerhouses of the Ancestor Star.”

Speaking thus, he immediately intended to leave.

“Who said you could leave?

Answer the master’s questions!” Bai Ying suddenly spoke out, her tone immensely dominant.

Furthermore, Soul Path and Vast Qi radiated from her.

With such momentum, she could slaughter a Saint.

Emptiness Saint’s face turned extremely unsightly in an instant.

“You may have your Saintly pride, but I too have my dignity,” stated the White Fox forcefully.

“You bully my master just because he is merely at the Void Realm!

But tell me, Emptiness, Wuxu, even the Yaochi Saint, can you compare to my master within the Void Realm?

If you disagree, feel free to suppress your realms and battle my master within the Sword Void Realm!”

White Fox’s words put the three saints in an awkward position, making it impossible for them to step down gracefully.

Their faces were terribly sullen.

Bai Ying was right; to fight Zhou Yan in the Void Realm, even the three saints were not entirely confident of victory.

At this realm, without certain victory, they would not risk it.

For Zhou Yan, losing meant nothing, but winning would mean that these Saints would have no face to stay on this planet.

Zhou Yan could fight freely without restraint, allowing his combat power to be unleashed to its fullest—twelve times its strength—while they, with too many concerns, could perhaps only unleash about ten times their strength, unable to perform beyond expectations.

As gains and losses offset each other, the outcome would be unpredictable.

“I, a Saint, would stoop to battle such a lowly creature?

The battle is inevitable, but not with me—it will be my son, Ji Wu.

When the time comes, the contest to marry the Holy Daughter will always come down to a test of strength and ability!”

During this extremely embarrassingly moment for Emptiness Saint, Wuxu, the female saint, had already stepped forward and, with soft words and tactful speech, resolved the awkward situation.

“Then, I am very much looking forward to it, though I fear some people might use despicable means,” Bai Ying remarked sarcastically.

“I’ve said I wouldn’t intervene, and I won’t!

You can be assured of that!

As for Zhou Yan’s question, I’ll answer it now!

Yes, we all Saints gratitude to the Thunder Origin Sword God for his grace of creation and, even if we say we are not his subjects, in our hearts, we also have the sense of allegiance.”

Emptiness said coldly.

“Since you acknowledge allegiance, now Bai Ying was carrying the Imperial Decree of the Thunder Origin Sword God—Bai Ying, take out the Imperial Decree, and let Emptiness Saint express his allegiance by kneeling and kowtowing,” Zhou Yan said immediately.

He had previously asked a question to which all the saints could have predicted this very response.

If Jiu Que were made to kneel, then Saint Emptiness would certainly have to kneel before the Imperial Decree of the Thunder Origin Sword God.

In this way, Emptiness would be humiliated regardless of the outcome, and as for Jiu Que, for Zhou Yan to stand up for him to the extent of offending a Saint, Jiu Que would undoubtedly become even more loyal.

Thus, without Zhou Yan needing to say it, Jiu Que would feel grateful and moved enough to certainly kneel on his own.

Everything would come full circle.Or, a perfect circle.

This was also why Emptiness didn’t want to speak and intended to turn around and leave.

However, nobody had expected that Zhou Yan would actually dare to ask such a question—to make a Saint kneel!

Wasn’t he afraid that the Saint would harbor hatred and wait for an opportunity for revenge?

In this moment, Zhou Yan finally drew the real attention of some saints.

“This is the Imperial Decree of the Thunder Origin Sword God.

I now doubt you truly acknowledge allegiance to the Thunder Origin Sword God.

Would you be willing to kneel to prove your sincere allegiance to the Thunder Origin Sword God?” Bai Ying, following Zhou Yan’s arrangement, immediately produced the Imperial Decree.

Emptiness’s face darkened, unable to bear it any longer.

He bluntly tore off the veil, “To kneel for an Imperial Decree?

I, Emptiness Saint, am nearly a divine Saint who, in my life, has not knelt to heaven and earth or even to my parents, let alone an Imperial Decree!

Are you joking?

Allegiance is a matter of the heart, not these formalities.

Even if Thunder Origin Sword God himself were present, I, Emptiness, would merely bow, nothing more!”

He was almost spitting out the words, for it seemed as though he was stepping directly into a trap laid by Zhou Yan.

Yet it was a blatant trap—one he knew would catch him, but he was powerless to do otherwise.

Because speaking these words, in comparison to kneeling, was after all, not so significant.