Chapter 24: Why Not as an Excuse-Eu só aceitei discípulos por acaso, como eles se tornaram Grandes Imperadores?(Espalhadas como estrelas sobre o rio inteiro.)

The Master of Spirit Sword Peak stared in astonishment, muttering to himself, "This... how is this possible? Luo Sanfeng was so easily suppressed by Ye Xinghe. Just how terrifying has Ye Xinghe’s strength become?"

The Master of Bright Moon Peak also wore a grave expression, her fingers tightening around her folding fan as she pondered in silence.

"Ye Xinghe has always been regarded as a 'useless' peak master. Why is he suddenly able to unleash such astonishing power? Has he been hiding his true strength all along? If so, what exactly is his objective?"

The other peak masters whispered among themselves, their previous disdain for Ye Xinghe long vanished, replaced by a deep and pervasive sense of dread. They realized that the Ye Xinghe before them was no longer a target to be bullied, but a formidable figure possessing the power to overturn the very foundations of the Sacred Land.

At that moment, Luo Sanfeng struggled to climb to his feet. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes burned with venomous hatred. He knew that if he were defeated today, not only would he be disgraced, but his standing within the Sima family would plummet.

"Ye Xinghe, I will not admit defeat just like that!" Luo Sanfeng roared through gritted teeth, forcing his spiritual energy to surge once more.

Yet, Ye Xinghe merely glanced at him indifferently and shook his head. "Luo Sanfeng, your chance has passed."

With a light flick of his sword, a seemingly gentle sword aura flew toward Luo Sanfeng. Though the strike appeared plain and unremarkable, it contained the immense spiritual power of Ye Xinghe, who was now nearing the Great Vehicle stage.

Luo Sanfeng tried to dodge, but the sword aura struck his chest instantly. With a muffled sound, he spat out another mouthful of blood. His body was launched backward like a cannonball, slamming heavily into the protective barrier of the arena before sliding slowly to the ground.

Ye Xinghe sheathed his blade and stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping across the crowd as he spoke slowly.

"Today, I, Ye Xinghe, establish my authority here. From this day forward, if anyone dares to look down upon Tongtian Peak or attempts to provoke trouble, this shall be their fate!"

His voice was not loud, yet it echoed through the venue like the tolling of a great bell. Soon, the notification of a system reward chimed, though Ye Xinghe had no time to check it just yet.

The Master of Spirit Mine Peak rushed to Luo Sanfeng’s side in a panic, his hands trembling as he checked for a pulse. A moment later, his complexion turned deathly pale. He jerked his head up, pointed a finger at Ye Xinghe, and shouted furiously:

"Ye Xinghe, how dare you strike with such lethal force! Elder Luo is dead! You are a madman—do you have no respect for the rules of the Sacred Land, no regard for the law?"

Ye Xinghe acted as if he hadn't heard the indignant accusation. His expression remained as calm as still water. He glanced coldly at Luo Sanfeng’s corpse and said, "I said it before: a life-and-death pact was signed, and one must bear the consequences. Since Luo Sanfeng dared to engage me in a fight to the death, he should have anticipated this outcome."

"I, Ye Xinghe, am a man who distinguishes between gratitude and grudges. If others do not offend me, I do not offend them. But if they do, I will slay them one by one, or two by two!"

His voice was bone-chilling and devoid of emotion, as if he had just performed a trivial task rather than taking a human life. This cold remark and his composed demeanor caused everyone present to gasp, a sudden chill settling in their hearts.

Upon hearing the news of Luo Sanfeng’s death, the disciples of the Sima family were stunned for a heartbeat before erupting into cries of grief and rage.

"Ye Xinghe, you murderer, pay with your life!"

"How dare you kill an elder of the Sima family! Today, you shall pay in blood!"

Dozens of Sima family disciples flooded the arena like a tide, their faces twisted with fury as they unleashed their spiritual energy and drew their weapons, charging toward Ye Xinghe.

In an instant, the arena was filled with the flash of blades and the turbulent surge of spiritual power. The situation became explosive.

Seeing this, Ye Xinghe remained unhurried, a sneer of contempt curling his lips. He slowly raised his right hand and gave a gentle wave. A surge of powerful spiritual energy swept out like an invisible storm, instantly enveloping the charging disciples.

The disciples felt as if their bodies were bound by an irresistible force, rendering them unable to move, while their weapons were knocked from their hands, clattering to the floor.

"You lot think you can avenge him? How pathetic!"

Ye Xinghe looked coldly at the restrained disciples, his eyes filled with disdain. To him, these people were nothing more than ants.

Several elders, seeing that the situation had completely spiraled out of control, flew onto the stage. The lead elder, wearing a grim expression, shouted, "Everyone, stop! This matter requires careful deliberation; do not act impulsively!"

Ye Xinghe frowned slightly and looked at the elders, saying in a deep voice, "Elder, this was a life-and-death duel between Luo Sanfeng and me. The pact is here, and everyone in the Sacred Land can testify to it. Now that he has been defeated and killed, the Sima family seeks to stir up trouble. Will the Sacred Land simply allow them to act so lawlessly?"

The elder sighed helplessly, his brows furrowed. "Ye Xinghe, although there was a life-and-death pact, Luo Sanfeng’s status is unique, and his death carries grave implications."

"The Sima family will certainly not let this go, and the Sacred Land must handle this appropriately to avoid further conflict. Until a final decision is reached, you must not act rashly."

Ye Xinghe gave a cold snort. "Rest assured, Elder, I will await the Sacred Land’s judgment. But if the Sacred Land is unjust and shows favoritism toward the Sima family, do not blame me for being discourteous!"

With that, he flicked his sleeves, floated down from the arena, and returned to the Tongtian Peak encampment. Zhao Changsheng and Ximen Feixue hurried forward to meet him.

"Master, are you unharmed?"

Ye Xinghe shook his head slightly. "I am fine. But with Luo Sanfeng dead, I fear endless trouble will follow. Nevertheless, no matter what happens, Tongtian Peak will not retreat or cower."

Inside the grand council hall of the Sima family, when the news of Luo Sanfeng’s death arrived like a thunderclap, the hall erupted in chaos.

A white-haired elder slammed his cane heavily against the floor, his eyes wide with rage as he roared, "Outrageous! For Luo Sanfeng, an elder of our Sima family, to be murdered in the Sacred Land—this is a blatant display that they do not hold our family in any regard! How can we swallow this insult?"

The other elders echoed his sentiment, their faces flushed with indignation as they clamored for the Sacred Land to provide an explanation and punish Ye Xinghe severely.

The Sima family head sat at the head of the hall, a flicker of imperceptible excitement dancing in his eyes. He raised a hand to signal for silence, and once the hall quieted, he spoke slowly.

"Everyone, this is a heaven-sent opportunity. I was fretting over finding a suitable pretext to move against the Sacred Land; now, the affair of Luo Sanfeng is the perfect catalyst."

A middle-aged elder frowned, questioning, "Family Head, the Sacred Land has deep foundations. While Elder Luo’s death gives us the moral high ground, we may not necessarily secure victory if we engage in an all-out war."

The Sima family head sneered. "What do you know? The Sacred Land may appear strong, but it is riddled with internal conflict, with constant infighting between the various peaks."

"Now that Ye Xinghe has killed Luo Sanfeng and the Sima family is demanding justice, the other peak masters will surely stand by and watch, and some may even collude with us in secret. We only need to press them step by step and defeat them one by one to bring the Sacred Land under our control."