Chapter 1161: Counterattack

From the distant east, two figures of young girls appeared, flying at extreme speed. Both petite and delicate, one in a red dress with red hair, the other in a flowing colorful gown, their arrival was like two exquisite fairies from a fairytale suddenly descending upon a mundane world, making everything seem ethereal.

“We’re finally here. We seem to have passed directly through the Heaven Smiting Realm’s restrictions… but why didn’t anyone stop us?” Princess Cai Zhi’s face was flushed with excitement, and her heart thumped with anticipation.

Because she could finally do something for her older sister.

And it was going to be a huge surprise.

“You are the illustrious Sirius Star God; who would dare to stop you?” Jasmine said irritably.

“Hehe.” Princess Cai Zhi poked out her pink tongue, her starlit eyes secretly observing her sister’s expression. As the Conferred God Stage drew nearer, her excitement grew.

How could Cai Zhi’s unusual behavior escape Jasmine’s perception? She glanced sideways and said, “Cai Zhi, we’re already here. Are you still not going to tell me your true purpose? Don’t tell me you just brought me along to watch a bunch of kids fight.”

“I’m still a child myself, big sister! You’re not allowed to talk about children like that,” Cai Zhi pouted her lips in protest.

“…” Although Cai Zhi had been secretive, Jasmine sensed that she was at least in a very good mood and intensely anticipating something, meaning it definitely wasn’t anything bad, so she wasn’t worried.

“Conferred God Stage, Conferred God Stage… we’re almost there.” Cai Zhi was, after all, too young, and her emotional control was naturally not very strong. Thinking about what might happen next, she began to get so excited she couldn't contain herself: “I can sense Father King’s aura, and Uncle Zhou Tian’s… so many people… Ah!!”

As if suddenly crashing violently into an invisible dimensional wall, then struck by heavenly lightning, Jasmine abruptly stopped, freezing in place. For a long time… she remained motionless.

“Sister!” Cai Zhi also quickly stopped, but the moment she turned around and saw Jasmine, she was stunned into silence.

In her sight, her sister — who instilled fear in everyone in the Star God Realm, was cold and merciless to anyone but her, and would even tell her father, the Star God Emperor, to "scram" — her entire body was trembling uncontrollably. Her blood-red eyes completely lost their crimson glow, her pupils dilated wildly, then contracted violently, and her slightly parted lips trembled ceaselessly.

Her aura was chaotic to an extent Cai Zhi found unbelievable.

“Sis… Sister?”

Cai Zhi believed her sister would be very excited to suddenly see Yun Che. She had eagerly anticipated that scene, the surprise she was giving her sister… but Jasmine’s reaction utterly terrified her.

“…” Jasmine showed no reaction to Cai Zhi’s voice. She seemed as if her soul had been sucked out, and the world before her eyes blurred, then spun dizzily.

Yun… Che…

“Hmph, Yun Che?” Venerable Qu Hui frowned slightly, his voice cold. “Do you know why this Venerable One summoned you?”

“Yes,” Yun Che replied calmly, facing Venerable Qu Hui directly. “Because you believe I shouldn't be here.”

“Since you know, then confess honestly,” Venerable Qu Hui’s voice was as stern and cold as ever. “If you confess yourself, the consequences might be slightly less severe. It doesn’t matter if you don’t, all projections are fully imprinted within the Heavenly Pearl. We’ll know once we check it!”

“No need, I did indeed use dishonorable methods to pass the first and second rounds of preliminaries,” Yun Che said calmly, as if speaking of someone else’s affairs, and confessed truthfully. “I coerced a very powerful and highly-ranked individual to let me ‘kill’ them once before the end of the competition, allowing me to obtain thirty percent of their soul beads… it’s that simple.”

His goal had been achieved by arriving here.

As for the consequences, he was already prepared. Disqualification, expulsion — he didn't care in the slightest. Being despised, mocked, and becoming a laughingstock wouldn't bother him at all. Even being thrown out with broken limbs, he would readily accept.

After all, this was the Heaven Smiting Realm, the most righteous, benevolent, and just Star Realm. Although he had committed the error of “cheating,” it was at least not a capital offense.

If there was one thing he feared most, one result he absolutely could not accept… it was that Jasmine had not arrived here.

From high in the distant sky, though far apart, at Cai Zhi’s cultivation level, all sounds were still clearly audible.

“So that’s the method he used,” Princess Cai Zhi whispered.

Cai Zhi’s murmur finally drew a reaction from Jasmine. She slowly turned her gaze. “Cai Zhi… is this… your purpose for bringing me here?”

“Yes!” Cai Zhi turned around and nodded vigorously. “Hehe, Sister, you definitely wouldn’t have guessed, actually, I… I was… Ah…”

Cai Zhi’s voice gradually faded, and the joyous smile on her face quickly disappeared… because her sister’s gaze was incredibly cold, so terrifying…

From childhood until now, it was the first time she had seen such a look from her sister.

“Sis… Sister… I…” she called out timidly, at a loss.

Jasmine’s gaze shifted from Cai Zhi, silently watching the Conferred God Stage, motionless and uttering no further word.

“…” Cai Zhi, like a startled kitten, stood meekly and timidly beside Jasmine, daring not to speak again, her heart filled with unease and grievance.

Did I… did I do something wrong again… Did I cause trouble…?

But… Sister clearly missed him so much…

Boo-hoo… What did I do wrong this time…?

Yun Che’s direct confession immediately caused an uproar. Among the Heaven’s Chosen, Wu Guike’s body trembled, and his face instantly paled.

Such a calm and direct confession was truly unexpected. However, to be able to send someone into the "Heaven's Chosen" by sacrificing thirty percent of one’s own soul beads, that person must be a formidable, top-ranked individual among the "Heaven's Chosen," undoubtedly possessing extremely high cultivation and background.

How could such a person be “coerced” by someone from a lower realm, whose cultivation was only at the Divine Tribulation Realm? And how could a profound practitioner of such background and strength, who must possess immense dignity of the profound way, possibly accept such a thing?

But since Yun Che had already admitted to cheating, things became much simpler. Venerable Qu Hui’s eyebrows furrowed fiercely, and he sternly said, “Yun Che, how brazen of you! To dare commit such a despicable act at the Profound God Convention! Do you even hold this Profound God Convention, or my Heaven Smiting Realm, in any regard? Do you possess any profound practitioner’s dignity or honor?!”

At Qu Hui’s stern rebuke, the entire hall fell silent.

Mu Huanzhi’s face turned ashen with fright, but Mu Bingyun suddenly stood up. “Lord Divine Emperors, Venerable Qu Hui, I am Mu Bingyun of the Ice Phoenix Sect, Snow Song Realm. Yun Che is a disciple of my Ice Phoenix Sect. The grave mistake he committed is due to the Ice Phoenix Sect’s failure in guidance. I hope you can deal with him lightly, considering his youth and ignorance. I will certainly discipline and punish him severely upon returning him to the sect… and will also give the Heaven Smiting Divine Realm a full account.”

All eyes immediately turned to the Snow Song Realm’s seats. The people of the Snow Song Realm suddenly felt as if a thousand swords were piercing their bodies, their bodies and souls trembling in fear.

“Snow Song Realm? Hmph!” Venerable Qu Hui snorted heavily without turning his head. “The Snow Song Realm, presided over by Realm King Xuanyin, is also a reputable Star Realm. To produce such a despicable wretch, even I feel ashamed for you!”

Mu Bingyun: “…”

Venerable Qu Hui furrowed his brow and said, “An account? My Heaven Smiting Realm does not need an account! This is a grand event for our Eastern Divine Region, especially these one thousand ‘Heaven’s Chosen,’ whose significance is unprecedented! Yet such scum has emerged. How then can we explain this to the Eastern Divine Region, and to all these young people who have poured their all into the Profound God Convention?!”

“This matter concerns not only him, but your Snow Song Realm cannot escape responsibility either!”

“???” Yun Che frowned slightly. One thousand “Heaven’s Chosen” are of great significance? What significance?

“Bingyun…” Mu Huanzhi tried to stop Mu Bingyun, but he heard her continue, “Yun Che is not an ordinary disciple of my Ice Phoenix Sect; he is currently the only personal disciple of our Sect Master. He originated from a lower realm, has been in the God Realm for a short time, and is naturally mischievous and unruly, which is why he committed such a grave mistake. Please, Venerable One, show some consideration; my Ice Phoenix Sect will be eternally grateful.”

“…What? A personal disciple? This guy is actually Realm King Xuanyin’s personal disciple? Impossible, right?”

“Realm King Xuanyin is one of the Divine Masters of the Eastern Divine Region. How could someone like this be her personal disciple?”

“Now, not only has he implicated the Snow Song Realm, but he’s also utterly shamed Realm King Xuanyin… Sigh.”

“…Disgraceful.” Jun Xilei looked away, disdaining to even glance at Yun Che again, as if doing so would soil her own eyes. While feeling satisfied from her resentment, she also felt doubly humiliated remembering that she had actually knelt to apologize to such a person not long ago.

The Snow Song Realm used to be just an ordinary, slightly lower-tier middle Star Realm, not well-known. But ever since Mu Xuanyin, the Snow Song Realm became widely known, and the name “Realm King Xuanyin” far surpassed that of the Snow Song Realm itself, even exceeding most upper realm kings.

However, this certainly did not mean that Venerable Qu Hui would show Realm King Xuanyin any deference… because he was Venerable Qu Hui!

“He… Realm King Xuanyin’s personal disciple?” Venerable Qu Hui’s face remained as rigid and cold as before, his gaze still icy. “To take such a despicable person as a personal disciple, is Realm King Xuanyin blind?!”

As soon as these words were spoken, Venerable Qu Hui suddenly saw Yun Che’s previously calm eyes harden instantly, and a surge of violent aura rushed forth. “Do not insult my Master!!”

This direct roar at Venerable Qu Hui left everyone wide-eyed with shock. All the people of the Snow Song Realm turned pale with horror, and Mu Bingyun urgently cried out, “Yun Che, stop!!”

Everyone on the Conferred God Stage was collectively stunned. They never dreamed that Yun Che would dare to reprimand Venerable Qu Hui! Even Venerable Qu Hui himself clearly paused.

Yun Che, however, turned a deaf ear, his eyes staring directly at Venerable Qu Hui. After arriving in the God Realm, his temper had indeed mellowed considerably due to the numerous lessons Mu Xuanyin had given him. Before coming to the Heaven Smiting Realm, Mu Xuanyin had also repeatedly reminded him… But when those words insulting Mu Xuanyin were uttered by Venerable Qu Hui, his anger and ferocity erupted like a lit volcano, instantly surging to its peak, unstoppable.

Perhaps he himself hadn't realized it, but Mu Xuanyin had, unconsciously, become another one of his inverse scales.

“What I did has nothing to do with my Master! What reason do you have, what right do you have, to insult my Master?!”