294 - After Defying the Villain’s Fate for Nine Lifetimes, the Heroines Turn Mad!

Chapter 294: Nine Lives as a Villain, When the Heroines Turn Dark However, the venerable Nine Revolutions Patriarch shook his head and sent a message telepathically, "The exertion of soul power is enormous this time. To execute these two, I must act personally, but... the Emperor's Court has arrived." The Emperor's Court? Hearing these words, Xiao Hongyi's eyes widened! The Emperor's Court monitors the Central Domain. If the Nine Revolutions Patriarch were to take action now, the Sword Ancestor of the Seven Luminaries and the Old Buddha would resist to the death, turning the entire Azure Cloud City into ruins. At that point, the Emperor's Court would have every reason to use "Imperial Law" to detain the Nine Revolutions Patriarch and take him to the Upper Domain! Should the Patriarch resist, it would surely summon the imperial forces! Given these circumstances, it was indeed unwise to take action. Xiao Hongyi, trusting the patriarch's infallible perception, had not anticipated the Emperor's Court would make its appearance in this life so quickly! Could it be... Suddenly recalling something, Xiao Hongyi abruptly turned to look at Meng Lang, who was cowering in a corner! As expected! At this moment, Meng Lang held a golden transmission jade slip, continuously channeling his spiritual cognition into it! It was clear—this person had informed the empire! First, he tried to divert disaster by holding Xiao Hongyi accountable for Jiang Chen’s actions, and now he was secretly informing the imperial powers—utterly intolerable! "Courting death!!" Xiao Hongyi roared in anger, her Phoenix Fire surging towards Meng Lang. Meng Lang, in the Divine Boundary realm, sensed imminent danger and tried to flee, only to find... He couldn't move! His entire body seemed paralyzed, unable to shift a muscle, not even able to muster his cultivation to shield himself! Realizing what was happening, he quickly looked toward the Nine Revolutions Patriarch. Indeed. The patriarch was staring at him with the gaze of someone examining a dead man! "Ah!!!" In a short moment, Meng Lang let out a harrowing scream, reduced to ashes by flames. Simultaneously. Golden light spilled down from the sky, laying a golden road beneath. Four golden carriages, drawn by flood dragons, traveled this path, showering everything in radiant light, their passage accompanied by a mysterious sound. Finally, the carriages hovered above Azure Cloud City, each carrying two elderly men in yellow robes, totaling eight. One elder descended from the carriage, crossing the void, a golden scroll appearing in his hand, his voice resonating powerfully: "Under the decree of the Saint Glorious Celestial Empress." "A competition among the Central Domain sects shall commence in half a year! From now until the competition, sects and factions within the Central Domain are prohibited from conflict or provocation." "Cultivators at the Divine Boundary realm and above shall not emerge." "Violators will face the Five Extinctions!" "Their sect, clan, body, and soul shall be utterly obliterated!" "Additionally!" "Due to the massacre of prodigies from righteous sects like the Seven Luminaries Sword Palace and the Buddhist Monastery to ensure fairness, sects from the Upper Domain are permitted to send their prodigies to participate in the competition." Though the elder's voice was soft, it resonated in the minds of all cultivators present. With the edict concluded, countless cultivators bowed deeply, exclaiming, "Long live the Empress!" The Seven Luminaries Sword Ancestor and the Buddha Ancestor fell to their knees in sheer elation! They couldn't help it—they were too overwhelmed! The sect competition not only evaluates a sect's strength but also the prowess of its prodigies. With most of the prodigies from the Seven Luminaries Sword Palace and the Buddhist Monastery killed in the Mystic Ice Realm, they were deeply worried about the upcoming competition. Who would have imagined? The reigning Empress had perceived their plight and allowed the Upper Domain to intervene! This was unprecedented; nothing to fear at all?! Everyone was aware, weren't they? Among all top-tier sects in the Central Domain, only the Nine Revolutions Sect had no affiliation with powers from the Upper Domain, aside from the Nine Revolutions Patriarch himself. Moreover. Before the sect competition, cultivators at the Divine Boundary level and above are barred from emergence. This implies that the Nine Revolutions Patriarch, Xiao Hongyi, and Chen Sheng must remain in seclusion! Without these three's protection, Jiang Chen's future would surely be fraught with difficulties! This thought alone was enough to ignite excitement! In stark contrast to the elation of the Seven Luminaries Sword Ancestor and the Buddha Ancestor, the Nine Revolutions Patriarch's expression turned quite dire. Not permitted to emerge? How then was he to demonstrate the Nine Recollections of Reincarnation? How to make others grasp his suffering? More importantly! Anyone with clear vision could see that this imperial decree was blatantly targeting the Nine Revolutions Demon Sect! It seems the Empress underestimated just how fiercely the patriarch would shield Jiang Chen! Due to him, the Nine Revolutions Sect had become a demon sect, inciting chaos in the entire Central Domain! Thus, the Empress issued such a decree. And while the Nine Revolutions Patriarch brooded over these matters, the eight golden-robed elders suddenly appeared in the City Lord's Mansion. They first observed the ashes of Meng Lang, collectively frowning before shifting their gaze to the others. "Salutations to the Emperor's envoys." The Sword Ancestor of the Seven Luminaries and the Buddha Ancestor hastened to express goodwill with clasped hands. Though these elders weren't necessarily stronger, their status was beyond compare. "Hmph!" The Nine Revolutions Patriarch and Xiao Hongyi merely turned away with a cold snort. This response caused the elders to frown once more. Normally, such rudeness would not go unpunished, but the patriarch had been a general under the empire with a mentor-disciple bond with the current Empress; rash actions were unwise. With this in mind, one elder stepped forward, bowing to the Nine Revolutions Patriarch, "Greetings, General." "I am no longer a general of the empire and unworthy of the title." The patriarch's tone was measured and detached. "No matter. Besides delivering the decree, the Empress has instructed us to convey a message to you." The elder maintained his smile. "Oh? What is it?" The patriarch raised an eyebrow. "The Empress asks that you conduct yourself well." "..." --- Chapter 292: Jiang Chen: Old Man, What’s Your Name? By the time Jiang Chen left the Mystic Ice Realm, the members of the Emperor's Court had already departed. Using the teleportation array, he had just arrived in Azure Cloud City when he was taken aback. What greeted him was an assembly of prominent figures. The Sword Ancestor of the Seven Luminaries. The Buddha Ancestor of the Buddhist Monastery. Su'e, Ghost Lord of the Abyss. Upon seeing these three, Jiang Chen felt a twinge of apprehension. He didn't need to guess; he knew these three didn't harbor any goodwill towards him! But in the next instant, he regained his composure. Because he also saw the kindly smiling Nine Revolutions Patriarch, Xiao Hongyi, who let out a sigh of relief, and Chen Sheng. Jiang Chen knew very well. With the Nine Revolutions Patriarch's power, he could surely ensure Jiang Chen's safe departure. Seeing the furious glares from the Sword Ancestor and the Buddha Ancestor, Jiang Chen snapped without hesitation: "What are you staring at?!" "..." Both ancestors twitched at the mouth, feeling a strong urge to retaliate! Looking the Sword Ancestor up and down, Jiang Chen continued, "Old man, why is your face swollen?" "I hit him!" the Nine Revolutions Patriarch interjected. "…" The Sword Ancestor's mouth twitched again. "You're amazing, patriarch!" Jiang Chen gave a thumbs-up in admiration. "Haha, of course!" The patriarch stroked his beard, laughing heartily, "He was so weak—I didn't even exert force, yet he sobbed and begged for mercy!" Sobbing? Begging for mercy? Hearing these words, the Sword Ancestor nearly exploded! Could the patriarch have some shame? When did he ever sob or beg for mercy?! This was blatant lying through one's teeth! The Sword Ancestor seethed internally, intending to rebut. Yet, before he could even utter a word.