Immortal of the Nine Realms

“Pinnacle Earth Profound?” Fang Zhentian nodded. “A martial artist of that caliber can’t be considered mortal anymore.”

“Of course,” Ji Lengyue sneered. “The people of our Chillwater see him as a god.”

There was a pause before he continued, “I’m here today because your Fang Clan’s Fang Chen killed one of our Ji Clan’s offspring in Longdu, Zhou Xiu.”

“The ignorant shouldn’t be judged guilty,” Fang Zhentian calmly replied. “It’s a conflict between two countries, and Chen’er couldn’t have known that Zhou Xiu is a descendent of your Ji Clan. Both Great Xia and Longdu are Chillwater’s vassal states. I hope that you’ll be impartial on this.”

“The ignorant shouldn’t be judged guilty?” Ji Lengyue burst into laughter. “There’s no such saying in our Chillwater. Fang Chen killed someone of our bloodline, so he ought to pay for it with his life.”

The eyes of Fang Canghai and the others turned cold. They are here to claim Chen’er’s life!

“Your Majesty, what do you think about this?” Fang Zhentian looked at the emperor.

“I have discussed this matter with young master Ji. They are willing to spare everyone from the Fang Manor… but Fang Chen has to pay with his life,” the emperor replied.

“That’s the biggest leeway we can offer,” Ji Lengyue coldly replied. “Otherwise, I don’t mind sending the rest of you off together, so that you can reunite in the netherworld.”

Just then, a group of Valiant Defenders entered the Palace of Great Peace with the Longdu scholars, who had been imprisoned all this while, and a corpse that had nearly been reduced to white bones.

The Longdu scholars had already heard about what had happened. As soon as they saw Ji Lengyue, they kneeled down and began bawling. They accused Fang Chen of being a tyrant and lamented Zhou Xiu’s pitiful plight.

Their voices echoed loudly in the Palace of Great Peace.

Ji Lengyue eyed the corpse and placidly remarked, “No matter what, he’s still my cousin in terms of blood ties… Someone of our Ji Clan has been disrespected, but I am only going after the culprit. Don’t you think I am being lenient?”

“Of course!” Tao Mingsheng suddenly spoke up.

The officials in his faction quickly voiced their agreement as well.

Li Guozhu and the officials in his faction exchanged gazes, and some of them decided to support the motion to hand over Fang Chen too.

There was nothing they could do when Chillwater was exerting pressure on them right now. Their only option was to quickly appease Ji Lengyue and resolve this matter.

Ultimately, the Nightmare Knights standing at attention in the imperial court was simply far too intimidating for them to turn a blind eye too. All it took was one signal from Ji Lengyue, and all of them would be reduced to meat paste.

Only the military commanders kept their silence. They had utmost respect for Ji Zhentian, so they would rather die than to help an outsider put down his grandson.

“Milord, it won’t suffice to just kill Fang Chen. He has many experts aiding his tyranny!” a Longdu scholar cried out.

Ji Lengyue’s eyebrows shot up. “Point them out.”

“Him, him, and him!”

The Longdu scholars quickly pointed out Xu Ge, Tie Ma, Huang Sihai, and Li Daoye.

Li Daoye was dumbstruck. When did I become a part of Fang Chen’s gang?!

“Behead them as well,” Ji Lengyue ordered.

“Audacious!” Li Daoye roared. “Which bigheaded buffoon dares to behead the great Li Daoye? You’re just a boor from a lowly grade-8 state. Know your place!”

The Palace of Great Peace fell silent.

Everyone stared at Li Daoye. Who is this brave soul? What gave him the guts to say that Chillwater Country is a ‘lowly grade-8 state’ and that Ji Lengyue is a ‘boor’?

“Is there something wrong with his head?” someone murmured while sweating profusely.

“What did you just say?” Ji Lengyue glared at Li Daoye.

The Nightmare Knights behind him drew their weapons. Overwhelming killing intent suffused the Palace of Great Peace.

The emperor furiously glared at Li Daoye.

“You must be deaf. I said that you’re a boor from a grade-8 state!” Li Daoye harrumphed. He pushed away the Valiant Defenders, marched up to Ji Lengyue, and shoved his finger into the other party’s face, saying, “I am from Infernoblaze Country. Grade-6 Infernoblaze, heard of it?! You said you want to behead me? You must really want your country destroyed!”

“Grade-6 Infernoblaze Country?”

The crowd was astounded. None of them had heard of Infernoblaze Country, but the term ‘grade-6’ weighed heavily on their chests. Quite a few people began breathing faster.

Fang Zhentian instinctively looked at Fang Cangyou with questioning eyes.

“He doesn’t have a good head, but he might really be from a grade-6 state,” Fang Cangyou replied with a suppressed voice.

Fang Zhentian nodded. “It looks like Chen’er has made quite a few formidable friends. He might not have a good head, but that should be enough to intimidate Chillwater.”

“Infernoblaze?” Ji Lengyue was alarmed. I have heard of that country before, but how is this possible? Why would someone from Infernoblaze be here? That’s Chillwater’s superior state’s superior state!

Chillwater was a grade-8 state, which meant that grade-6 Infernoblaze was two grades higher than them. On top of that, he had heard that there was an immense gap between grade-7 and grade-6 states, and it was nigh impossible to bridge the gap between the two.

It was rumored that the military might of grade-6 states was dependent not on martial artists but cultivators! Those were terrifying existences possessing the means of deities.

Even he, a Ji Clansman, had no opportunity to come into contact with such existences or power.

“Are you scared?” Li Daoye was gleeful to see how quiet Ji Lengyue had become. “If you know your place, scram and never return!”

“I don’t know where you heard about Infernoblaze Country, but the galls of you to claim to be from Infernoblaze and threaten me with it!” Ji Lengyue sneered. “Dice him into meat paste!”

“Yes, young master!” the hundred Nightmare Knights replied in unison.

They were just about to charge at Li Daoye when their bodies stiffened up.

Li Daoye raised his hand, revealing a searing fireball revolving on his palm. The fireball emanated terrifying heat reminiscent of hellfire.

Ji Lengyue was taken aback. It’s a cultivator!

The emperor, the empress, Noble Consort Hua, Xia Yu, and the officials were shocked as well.

“See this? This is mystic art!” Li Daoye sneered. “Such means are beyond the reach of grade-7 states, let alone grade-8 states like yours. You’re Ji Lengyue, right? Have you ever heard about cultivators?”

Ji Lengyue’s face turned pale. Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.

Xu Ge and the others were perplexed. They didn’t think that the mere fact Li Daoye was a cultivator would intimidate Ji Lengyue so much. While they weren’t cultivators themselves, they were in possession of a cultivator’s means…

On top of that, their young master was a true cultivator many times stronger than Li Daoye!

“Fang Chen has arrived!” a eunuch outside yelled.

Two figures stepped into the Palace of Great Peace. It was Fang Chen and Abbess Clearlotus.

The crowd turned to Fang Chen with incredulous looks.