Chapter 583: All Trump Cards Revealed

Only a dozen breaths’ time had passed from Elder Tianyi’s appearance to his slaying of Li Zongluo.

But in just that dozen breaths’ time, several Martial Kings from the Qingfeng Empire, including their leader Li Zongluo, had all perished.

At this moment, the entire Qingfeng Empire contingent, save for a single Tier Seven Martial King who was previously injured and hadn’t joined the fray, was completely annihilated. Not one survived.

The horrifying scene made everyone’s pupils shrink, their hearts lurching in terror.

In terms of strength, Li Zongluo, leader of the Qingfeng Empire’s group, was on par with the other leaders. There was little to no difference between them.

Yet before this elder who had appeared out of nowhere, he hadn’t even lasted a few breaths before being instantly slain.

’Will this be our fate as well?’

The members of the remaining great powers couldn’t stop themselves from trembling, their emotions spiraling out of control.

While the experts from the other great powers trembled in terror, Tang Zhao and his men wore expressions of shame.

"Ancestor, Tang Zhao has failed. I was unable to complete your mission. Please, punish me."

Sect Master Tang Zhao of the Profound Mystery Sect immediately bowed to Elder Tianyi, his voice thick with self-reproach.

"We were incompetent. We hope Senior Tianyi can forgive us."

Sect Master Qiu Diantian of the Nine Yang Sect and Xie Li of the Bright Moon Empire also bowed in succession.

A Tier Seven Triple Peak Martial King and a Tier Eight Martial Emperor might only be one tier apart, but the difference was like that between heaven and earth. They represented two different, insurmountable levels.

"Senior Tianyi? Elder Tianyi... you’re Elder Tianyi."

After hearing what Qiu Diantian and the others called him, the older generation experts like Elder Jian of the Sword Sect all cried out in shock, their faces filled with horror.

Decades ago, Elder Tianyi was already an incredibly formidable expert of the Profound Mystery Sect. Furthermore, his cultivation as a Peak of Sixth Grade Soul Refiner had made his name widely known throughout the Dream Realm Plain.

But Elder Tianyi hadn’t appeared in decades, so many believed he had already perished. Who would have expected him to reappear now as a Tier Eight Martial Emperor, giving everyone a tremendous shock.

Elder Tianyi just stood there quietly, as if he had become the sole existence between heaven and earth, surveying those below like a monarch.

"All of you will die today." Elder Tianyi descended coldly, strands of a Martial Emperor’s power swirling around him. Everyone felt the very space around them freeze, making even movement difficult.

"What do we do? What are we supposed to do now?"

"A Tier Eight Martial Emperor... there’s no way we can fight that."

"It’s over. It’s all over."

The faces of those from the great powers were ashen, their eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

Even when they were first trapped by the Seven Star Earth Element Array, they hadn’t trembled with this much fear.

In the crowd, only Ge Puzi and his group remained relatively calm. He said coolly, "Elder Tianyi, you’ve finally shown yourself."

"Hm?" Elder Tianyi’s eyes narrowed slightly. He looked at Ge Puzi and asked doubtfully, "Ge Puzi, from the sound of it, you seem to have known I was here all along?"

Ge Puzi smiled faintly. "In the Profound Mystery Sect today, who else besides an old monster like you could set up the Seven Star Earth Element Array?"

Elder Tianyi’s brow furrowed. "Since you knew I was here, you still dared to stay?" he asked coldly.

Elder Jian and the others were shaken. ’That’s right! Ge Puzi and the others from Gale Light Academy seemed to have already known about the Profound Mystery Sect’s plot and even identified the Seven Star Earth Element Array. Yet they didn’t flee beforehand. They stayed. Could it be that Gale Light Academy also has a trump card?’

At this thought, Elder Jian and the others grew excited. The more they considered it, the more plausible it seemed.

As one of the continent’s three top powers, Gale Light Academy’s foundation was extraordinarily deep. It was entirely possible they had a trump card they hadn’t played yet.

But when they recalled how terrifying Elder Tianyi was, they all grew anxious again.

Elder Tianyi had now broken through to become a Tier Eight Martial Emperor. If it were their own powers, they would likely need all their sect ancestors to emerge just to have a chance of fighting him. Did Gale Light Academy really have that kind of strength?

With their lives on the line, Elder Jian and the others were caught in a whirlwind of hope and fear.

But Ge Puzi just sneered. "Why wouldn’t I dare? Does everyone in the world have to give you, Elder Tianyi, a wide berth?"

"Hmph, putting on an act." Elder Tianyi looked at Ge Puzi’s brazen attitude, a flicker of doubt in his heart. ’Where does he get the nerve to speak to me like this?’

He scoffed, "Ge Puzi, the only ones who can fight me now are Tier Eight Martial Emperors. Don’t tell me you’re expecting a Tier Eight Martial Emperor to come and save you?"

Ge Puzi smiled faintly. "And why not?"

The moment he said this, the experts from the other great powers all grew excited.

’Could Gale Light Academy really have summoned a Tier Eight Martial Emperor?’

’But looking back at Gale Light Academy’s history, the only Tier Eight Martial Emperor they have is Director Huangfu Xiuming, right?’

’Could it be that Director Huangfu Xiuming has returned?’

This thought electrified everyone’s minds.

Huangfu Xiuming’s name was simply too legendary in the Dream Realm Plain.

Back when he was just a Sixth Grade Martial Venerable, he had managed to venture into the Profound Domain and was even said to have become a disciple of the world-renowned Carefree Soul Emperor.

What’s more, he broke through to become a Tier Eight Martial Emperor in his thirties, becoming the youngest Martial Emperor in the history of the Dream Realm Plain and its most heaven-defying genius in a thousand years.

But after the Carefree Soul Emperor fell, he spent most of his years in the Profound Domain and rarely returned to the Dream Realm Plain. That was why some people in the plain were not familiar with Huangfu Xiuming.

But anyone from that era knew just how formidable Huangfu Xiuming was. Some veteran experts even asserted that Director Huangfu Xiuming was the most likely expert in a thousand years from the Dream Realm Plain to break through to the realm of the Nine Heavens Martial Emperor.

If Director Huangfu Xiuming of Gale Light Academy had returned, then things were about to get interesting.

This Elder Tianyi? In front of Director Huangfu Xiuming, he was just a junior. When Director Huangfu Xiuming was dominating the Dream Realm Plain, Elder Tianyi was still just an ordinary disciple of the Profound Mystery Sect.

Vice Sect Master Jia Xu of the Divine Sea Sect couldn’t hide his excitement. "Brother Ge," he said hurriedly, "has Director Huangfu Xiuming from your Gale Light Academy returned?"

Everyone turned their heads, seemingly trying to find any trace of Huangfu Xiuming.

"Huangfu Xiuming? HAHAHA!" Before Ge Puzi could speak, Elder Tianyi burst out laughing as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. His laughter was wild, arrogant, and utterly unrestrained.

A derisive smile also touched the corners of Tang Zhao and the others’ lips.

"Elder Tianyi, what are you laughing at?" Elder Jian from the Sword Sect roared. "You can be arrogant now, but as soon as Director Huangfu Xiuming from Gale Light Academy returns, your Profound Mystery Sect will be instantly annihilated and reduced to ruins!"

A look of disdain crossed Elder Tianyi’s face. He sneered, "Oh, Ge Puzi, Ge Puzi. Your little act actually made them think Huangfu Xiuming had returned. What a shame. Perhaps not even you know that your academy’s precious Huangfu Xiuming already fell in the Profound Domain a year ago, hmm?"

What?

Director Huangfu Xiuming had fallen?

The experts from the great powers were all dumbfounded, struck with horror.

Ge Puzi’s face turned ashen. "Elder Tianyi, stop spouting nonsense."

"Hahaha, spouting nonsense?" Elder Tianyi sneered, his eyes narrowing. "If Huangfu Xiuming hadn’t fallen, why would I dare make a move against your Gale Light Academy? Hahaha! Knowing this, don’t you all feel your world crumbling?"

His gaze turned increasingly frigid. "Enough of this act. I’ll kill you right now. I’m dying to see where you, Ge Puzi, get the nerve to pretend to be calm in front of me."

BOOM!

As his voice fell, Elder Tianyi suddenly thrust out a palm. The Tier Eight Profound Energy in the air rapidly condensed into a giant hand. The hand was almost solid, with clearly visible lines on its palm, just like a real hand. It radiated a terrifying pressure that seemed to suppress the entire world.

"Solidifying the void!"

Everyone’s brows twitched. Condensing a great hand of Profound Energy into a tangible object was something only a Tier Eight Martial Emperor could do.

The giant Profound Energy hand shot toward Ge Puzi, as if trying to snatch a chick.

"Vice Director Ge!"

Elder Dong and the others all cried out in alarm and flew forward. Even Ye Xuan’s brow twitched. He knew very well that Director Huangfu Xiuming hadn’t returned. ’What exactly is Vice Director Ge’s trump card?’

Everyone’s gaze froze.

However, at that critical moment, a clear voice suddenly rang out between heaven and earth.

"For ages unending, fortunes shift like clouds. What’s past is but a dream, and life and death are met with just a smile."

The voice seemed to come from the endless void—ethereal, otherworldly, and echoing from all directions.

At the same time, a slight ripple spread through the air. A beam of light shot out silently. It didn’t seem fast, but in an instant, it arrived before the Profound Energy hand that Elder Tianyi had unleashed. The two lights collided, and without a sound, the giant Profound Energy hand disintegrated into nothingness, leaving not even dust behind.

"Who’s there?" Elder Tianyi was startled, his gaze fixed on the sky.

"With graceful steps, I rise upon the clouds, / Freely I wander, riding on the wind. / A fragrance holds me, I cannot depart, / ’Til morning stars fade with my final cup."

As the verse echoed, a figure appeared. Between heaven and earth, a hazy silhouette slowly materialized, treading on air as it came into everyone’s view.

This was a handsome man in green robes. His eyes were like morning stars, and his fine hair danced in the wind. In his left hand, he held an ancient tome; in his right, a feather fan. He carried himself with an effortless grace, like a nimble spirit drifting through the sky, draped in robes of cloud.

Ge Puzi watched this person with a smile, his eyes filled with excitement.

"Vice Director Ge, Xiuyi is late."

The man smiled gently, and it was as if the sky itself had cleared.

"It’s you, Su Xiuyi!"

Elder Dong, Elder Yao, and the others all cried out in excitement.

A smile played on Su Xiuyi’s lips as he asked softly, "Is everyone alright?"

His mere presence seemed to evoke a sense of tranquility that washed over them.