Chapter 497: Taking a Person by Force

In the martial arts arena.

Duan Tianlang spoke with a smile. On the surface, his words were complimentary, but they held no real emotion. They were clearly just pleasantries.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Elders of the Profound Mystery Sect surrounding him gazed coldly at the students, like divine dragons looking down upon ants—arrogant and utterly disdainful.

"Heh heh, I wonder what wind blew you all here today. For Vice Sect Master Duan of the Profound Mystery Sect to grace our Gale Light Academy with a visit, we are naturally extremely welcoming."

Several masters exchanged glances, and Lu Jun immediately spoke up. "However, we are only managing a single element within Gale Light Academy. May I ask what brings you here? We need to report this to Vice Director Ge."

"Since you’ve put it that way, I’ll get straight to the point." Duan Tianlang gave a faint smile. "We have come this time for one purpose: to apprehend a wanted criminal of our Profound Mystery Sect. I hope the masters of Gale Light Academy will do us the courtesy of making this convenient."

SWOOSH!

In an instant, everyone’s gaze fell upon Ye Xuan.

Isn’t Xuan Ye the wanted criminal from the Profound Mystery Sect?

’Hahaha, that Xuan Ye actually eliminated me earlier. Look at him now, dumbfounded! The Vice Sect Master of the Profound Mystery Sect came personally to capture him. It’ll be a miracle if he survives this, right?’

’Take that Xuan Ye away and tear him to shreds.’

Hiding in the crowd, Chu Jian and Feng Guang’s eyes shone with excitement. They couldn’t wait for Ye Xuan to die.

"Young Master Ye, so many people from the Profound Mystery Sect are here for you. What are we going to do?"

Luo Cheng and Zhang Lie grew anxious and asked worriedly.

They knew Ye Xuan was wanted by the Profound Mystery Sect—Crazy Battle had even made a forceful move during the entrance exam. But they never imagined that the sect would go so far for Ye Xuan, sending their own Vice Sect Master to lead the charge, accompanied by four Supreme Elders.

A lineup like this wasn’t for capturing a mere Tier Five Martial Sect. It was the kind of force used to hunt down a fugitive Martial King.

"Ye Xuan."

In the crowd, Yun Aoxue and Xia Qixi, who had been watching quietly, clenched their fists.

Under everyone’s gaze, only Ye Xuan’s expression remained unchanged. He simply looked toward Lu Jun and the other masters.

To be honest, he too was surprised that the Profound Mystery Sect had dispatched such a powerful force to deal with him.

’But I know that panicking right now is useless,’ he thought. ’My only hope lies with the masters of Gale Light Academy.’

This was one of the reasons he had stayed at Gale Light Academy.

’So they really are here for Xuan Ye?’ Lu Jun and the others were stunned for a moment, then replied with a faint smile, "Vice Sect Master Duan must be joking. Here at Gale Light Academy, we only have hardworking students. We certainly don’t have any wanted criminals from your Profound Mystery Sect."

"Is that so?"

In the arena, Crazy Battle suddenly sneered and pointed at Ye Xuan. "This man murdered an elder of my Profound Mystery Sect and is a wanted criminal. We are here today to bring him to justice. This is the arrest warrant our sect issued a year ago. Surely you gentlemen are aware of it."

With a flick of his wrist, Crazy Battle sent several wanted posters flying into the hands of Lu Jun and the others.

"This wanted poster only mentions apprehending a black-haired youth and a golden-haired young man. It doesn’t seem to say it’s our academy’s Xuan Ye, does it?"

Lu Jun and the others glanced at the posters and said with a calm smile.

"At the time, our Profound Mystery Sect had not yet identified the killer, so we could only provide a description. But now we have confirmed that the one who killed our sect’s Elder Gale is none other than this Xuan Ye. As one of the top powers on the Dream Realm Plain, I trust Gale Light Academy would not do something like harboring a murderer."

Qingfeng suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Harboring a murderer? You have quite a sense of humor. Since the Profound Mystery Sect claims Xuan Ye killed your elder, do you have any proof?"

Qingfeng was a man who despised evil, and he greatly admired Ye Xuan’s talent. He was naturally going to protect him. The Profound Mystery Sect’s repeated visits had also angered him.

"Proof?" Duan Tianlang scoffed. "He’s a mere Tier Five Martial Sect. Would my great Profound Mystery Sect really make up nonsense about him?"

"Hahaha, Vice Sect Master Duan, you said it yourself. He’s just a Martial Sect. As far as I know, your Profound Mystery Sect elders are at least Tier Six Martial Venerables, right? I’ve heard of that Elder Gale. He was a Peak of Tier Six Second Layer Martial Venerable, just a step away from the Third Layer. Do you really think Xuan Ye, a mere Martial Sect, could kill one of your elders? That’s ridiculous."

When Master Qingfeng finished speaking, many students in the arena looked at Ye Xuan with strange expressions.

If he had said this a day ago, almost no student present would have disagreed.

But after witnessing Ye Xuan’s terrifying power in the elimination tournament, they now felt that it wasn’t entirely impossible for him to have killed a Profound Mystery Sect elder.

Of course, they only thought this to themselves; no one dared say it out loud.

"Master Qingfeng, you’re mistaken." Duan Tianlang narrowed his eyes. "We said this Xuan Ye is the killer, but we never said he did it with his own two hands. Perhaps he had an accomplice. Didn’t you see the golden-haired young man mentioned on the wanted poster?"

"That’s right." Crazy Battle gritted his teeth. "This Xuan Ye is extremely cunning. Back in the Imperial Capital of the Sky Empire, I was deceived by his weak cultivation. If not for the death of Patriarch Qin Feng of the Qin family, I wouldn’t have suspected this kid."

"Back then in the Imperial Capital of the Sky Empire, Patriarch Qin Feng of the Qin family pursued this Xuan Ye relentlessly. Not only did he fail, but he was killed by a golden-haired young man in the Luoyue Mountain Range. This proves that the golden-haired young man must be connected to Xuan Ye. If this person could even kill a Martial King expert like Qin Feng, then killing an elder of my Profound Mystery Sect would have been child’s play."

As Crazy Battle spoke, an intense killing intent shot from his eyes. Every time he thought of his son’s tragic death, the rage in his heart erupted like a volcano, impossible to extinguish.

At this moment, he wished he could slice Ye Xuan into a thousand pieces and grind his bones to dust.

Hearing Crazy Battle’s words, everyone present was horrified.

Patriarch Qin Feng of the Sky Empire’s Qin family also died because of this Xuan Ye? This has to be a joke, right?

Luo Cheng, Murong Yunxiao, Zhou Qingwei, and the others who had arrived at Gale Light Academy earlier and were unaware of this matter were especially dumbfounded.

Who was Qin Feng? He was the Patriarch of the prestigious Qin family, a Tier Seven Martial King, the pillar of his family, and a renowned figure in the Imperial Capital of the Sky Empire.

Such a powerful expert had fallen, and the reason was connected to Xuan Ye.

In an instant, their gazes all fixed on Ye Xuan, filled with shock.

The news was so stunning they could barely believe it.

"Hahaha." In the arena, Master Qingfeng suddenly burst out laughing. "Vice Sect Master Duan, what you’re saying is utterly ridiculous. According to you, the one who killed your Profound Mystery Sect’s elder was this so-called golden-haired young man. What does that have to do with our Gale Light Academy’s Xuan Ye?"

He had already made up his mind to protect Xuan Ye, not just for the reputation of Gale Light Academy, but also because of Ye Xuan’s talent.

"Hmph." Crazy Battle snorted coldly, his killing intent overflowing. "Even if the golden-haired man did the killing, Xuan Ye is inextricably linked to it. The two of them are clearly working together."

"Since you admit, Crazy Battle, that the golden-haired man did the killing, then you should go find him. What does this have to do with our Gale Light Academy’s Xuan Ye? And if they really are in cahoots, then you’ll have to find that golden-haired man first before you can say anything." Qingfeng also snorted coldly.

Crazy Battle said angrily, "That golden-haired man is elusive and his movements are unpredictable. The only way to draw him out is by capturing Xuan Ye!"

"Ridiculous." Master Qingfeng scoffed. "Crazy Battle, don’t you think your logic is a bit idiotic?"

"What did you say?" Crazy Battle’s eyes instantly turned crimson. He roared, glaring at Qingfeng as the Profound Energy in his body surged madly, vast and terrifying like an abyss.

If this guy hadn’t stopped him last time, he would have captured or killed Ye Xuan on the spot. He never expected that even with the Vice Sect Master here, this man would still stubbornly protect that kid, infuriating him to no end.

"Lost the argument and now you’re ready to fight?" Qingfeng sneered.

Duan Tianlang narrowed his eyes. "Qingfeng, this doesn’t seem to be your decision to make."

"Qingfeng is the director of our academy’s Martial Artist Element. How can he not have a say?" Just then, Elder Yao and Elder Dong suddenly spoke up, their voices calm. "We are all part of the academy, so we are naturally qualified to make decisions for it."

As soon as they spoke, the entire arena fell silent.

Elder Yao and Elder Dong—one the director of the Alchemy Element, the other the director of the Soul Refining Element—were figures of high status. It could be said that besides the Vice Director, they were the two most authoritative people in all of Gale Light Academy.

No student or master would dare to disregard their words.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the two turned to Ye Xuan in unison. "Xuan Ye, what do you have to say about this matter?"

"If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a charge."

Ye Xuan replied with a cold, faint smile. He knew he absolutely could not admit to it now. It wasn’t that he feared the Profound Mystery Sect; rather, an admission would put Gale Light Academy in an awkward position.

"Vice Sect Master Duan, you heard him. It’s not that our Gale Light Academy is unwilling to help the Profound Mystery Sect, nor are we aiding a villain. But you want to take away one of our students based on nothing more than a few words and an unsubstantiated wanted poster. If word of this got out, where would our Gale Light Academy hide its face?"

Elder Dong’s indifferent voice echoed across the heavens and earth. "If you and your sect have come as guests, Vice Sect Master Duan, then our Gale Light Academy welcomes you. But if you are here to apprehend a so-called murderer, then I’m afraid we must apologize. Our Gale Light Academy has no such person."

Although Elder Dong’s voice was not loud, it carried immense weight. It was, without a doubt, the final word on the matter.

"So, your Gale Light Academy intends to harbor a murderer, then?" A cold glint suddenly shot from Duan Tianlang’s eyes.

Elder Dong replied coldly, "Whether he is a murderer or not, we do not know. We only know that he is a student of our Gale Light Academy. If you want to take him away based on just your words, that is simply not possible."