Chapter 961: Wait, Little Brother, We're Not Bad People

Teng Shanhai's swift and decisive move caught everyone by surprise.

The Thirteen Grand Emptiness were astonished that the Head of the War Department, after only a brief exchange of words, would personally take such a risk rather than relying on his subordinates, all to seize a crucial time advantage.

This forced them to revise their impression of Bailian, the Holy Palace Envoy, who was only at the Severing Dao realm.

Bailian... The name sounded somewhat familiar.

Just as they assumed the Head of the War Department was fully committed and that a mere Severing Dao wouldn't be able to alter the situation, something entirely unforeseen occurred!

Teng Shanhai had only just passed Bailian when Bailian abruptly turned, extending his hand without hesitation before Teng Shanhai could reach the golden sword sea. "World in a Cauldron!" he calmly articulated.

A domain? The Thirteen Grand Emptiness were utterly dumbfounded. A Severing Dao realm cultivator had actually attacked a Grand Emptiness realm cultivator, especially one renowned for combat? This was surely suicidal! Teng Shanhai clearly didn't intend to harm him, but the Holy Palace Envoy seemed to be excessively overstepping.

However, an even greater surprise unfolded. Not only did Bailian's domain restrict Teng Shanhai's movements, but after seizing the initiative, he simply cast a glance, and Teng Shanhai, clad in the Azure God Armor, suddenly erupted in raging white flames. A soft "puff puff" sound emanated, causing the Thirteen Grand Emptiness to gasp in astonishment. Was that the Cinderflame?

They finally understood why Teng Shanhai hadn't dared to attack Bailian, why he insisted on seizing the time advantage, and why he had intervened to disrupt the ancient sword cultivator's breakthrough, even if it meant refusing to acknowledge Bailian's status. "The Holy Palace, Cinderflame lineage?" "Who would dare provoke them?"

Once they understood this, the Thirteen Grand Emptiness abandoned any thought of assisting Teng Shanhai. Given the circumstances, it was best to simply observe from a distance and pray they wouldn't get burned.

From afar, Teng Shanhai, trapped within the domain and with his qi sea and spiritual will scorched by the white flames, displayed signs of agony, but even more so, shock and fury.

Infuriated, he turned abruptly and bellowed, "Bailian, do you realize what you're doing? If Sword Immortal Rao's battle plan is ruined, you will be held primarily responsible!"

This enraged roar reverberated throughout the "World in a Cauldron" domain, causing the Thirteen Grand Emptiness to fall silent in trepidation. They now realized that Teng Shanhai had a genuine reason for his forceful intervention: to coordinate with Sword Immortal Rao's operation.

Yet Bailian remained unfazed; he had, after all, been "scared" into maturity by his master Mu Lin since childhood.

With a cold scoff, Bailian calmly responded, "Teng Shanhai, you still remember my name, Bailian?"

He paused, his eyes narrowing, then rose into the air, exuding the imposing aura of a high-ranking official. From his elevated position, he declared:

"Since you know my name is Bailian, you should also know that I am an executive of the Holy Palace's Cinderflame lineage, holding one of the Holy Palace's five great authorities, on par with Dao Qiongcang, the Head of your Holy God Temple headquarters. Yet, your War Department, merely one of six departments, falls under Dao Qiongcang's jurisdiction. For you, as the Head of the War Department, to infringe upon one of the Holy Palace's authorities constitutes an act of insubordination and disrespect — that is your first crime! Furthermore, despite bearing the grave responsibility of an enforcer, you disregarded the life and death of a trial participant, using some absurd pretext for your actions, intending to endanger a future talent of my Holy Palace. This shows a complete lack of judgment and a reversal of priorities — that is your second crime! Knowing full well that the Holy Palace trials are imminent, and that during the Royal City trials all actions must prioritize Holy Palace rules with other rules being secondary, you nonetheless ignored these rules and placed your own interests first. This displays a blatant disregard for hierarchy and reckless conduct — that is your third crime!"

Bailian's expression remained impassive, his words devoid of emotion. After enumerating the three charges, he scoffed and stated, "I, Bailian, need not lay a hand on you. With these three crimes alone, a report from me would ensure your downfall into the Dead Sea. Do you comprehend?"

As his words ceased, the Thirteen Grand Emptiness were drenched in cold sweat. It was terrifying... Was this the true authority of the Holy Palace's five great powers? Before any actual combat, Teng Shanhai, the Head of the War Department, had already accumulated three charges. In the Holy God Temple, known for its clear system of rewards and punishments, this was a grave dereliction of duty!

Teng Shanhai listened in a daze, feeling utterly speechless, like a mute trying to articulate a bitter truth. "Damn it, I haven't even done anything, and I'm already facing death?"

"I..." Teng Shanhai found himself almost incapable of speech.

"Are you calm now?" Bailian cut him off abruptly, offering no opportunity to retort.

Teng Shanhai froze, wanting to argue, but the searing pain from the white flames covering his body made him immediately concede, "I'm calm now, please withdraw the white flames first."

Bailian let out a cold snort, then raised a hand, retracting the Cinderflame.

Teng Shanhai glanced behind him. "And the domain?" Bailian chuckled coldly once more, then dispelled the "World in a Cauldron."

When cultivators above the Throne realm engage in combat, they must either ascend to high altitudes or deploy a domain. This rule was jointly established by the inaugural Holy Palace authorities and the Head of the Holy God Temple headquarters. Bailian, for his part, would never act recklessly, harm innocents, or give anyone cause for criticism.

Teng Shanhai exhaled softly, seemingly having completely calmed down. He then cast a glance at Bailian, who stood with his hands behind his back and head held high, meeting the other's condescending, scrutinizing gaze before slightly lowering his head. "Good," he thought, "no defenses..."

"Bang!" As he conceived this, Teng Shanhai pushed off the air, using the recoil to propel himself once more toward the golden sword sea. In the Yunlun Mountains, he already knew whose orders to follow. The battle at Solitary Sound Cliff had even compelled the internal world of the Heavenly Machine to manifest, clearly indicating the presence of a powerful adversary. In such a short span, Teng Shanhai felt he lacked both the ability and the time to explain everything to Bailian, and whether Bailian would even listen was another question entirely.

So, was he to ignore Rao Yaoyao's military order to guard the rear, or heed the arrogant words of one of the Holy Palace authorities, who belonged to a different faction? The answer was self-evident.

The sudden turn of events and the thunderous explosion startled the Thirteen Grand Emptiness and caught Bailian by surprise. "You dare to try again?" "You... are... seeking... death!"

Bailian gritted his teeth, completely taken aback that Teng Shanhai actually dared to make another move. Given the opponent's Grand Emptiness speed, he would strike before Bailian could react, and even if a domain were to reform, it would surely be insufficient to contain him. Bailian did not give up. To him, protecting the trial participant, who was still in the midst of a breakthrough, was equally crucial.

"Cinderflame Boundless!" Forming a hand seal, Bailian forcefully drew energy from the fire elemental Great Dao, which had become so assimilated it was almost untraceable, manifesting it as Cinderflame. In a single instant, he swept his hand sideways, and spiritual energy surged from his qi sea, resonating with the Great Dao of Fire. With a thunderous rumble, a Cinderflame wall, towering tens of thousands of feet high, spontaneously erupted within a hundred-zhang radius. The wall was seamless and impenetrable, trapping Teng Shanhai within, making it impassable.

"Bailian!" Teng Shanhai clenched his fists, suppressing the urge to retaliate and resisting the impulse to turn back. He could disregard orders from a superior belonging to another faction, as he wasn't directly under their command. However, actually striking them would indeed be a profound transgression—a grave crime!

"Break!" With fierce determination, Teng Shanhai charged forward, undeterred by the Cinderflame sea wall. He had to breach it! If he could just slightly disrupt the ancient sword cultivator and cause his breakthrough to fail, he wouldn't need to do anything further. At most, Teng Shanhai would simply offer a perfunctory apology, and the matter would be dismissed, given the substantial authority he held as the Head of the War Department.

But Bailian would not allow him to succeed. Seeing Teng Shanhai still pressing against the fire sea wall, intent on breaching it and reaching the golden sword sea, he scoffed, clasped his palms into a fist, and brought it down forcefully. "Condense Illumination, Condense Pill: Detonation!"

The spontaneously generated sea of fire suddenly transmuted into a viscous liquid, with the surrounding space acting as a grand cauldron. The fiery expanse condensed, forming a single, incandescent flowing fire pill that materialized directly in Teng Shanhai's path. Yet, under the influence of the Cinderflame Condensing Pill technique, this flowing fire pill... abruptly failed to condense!

"Boom!" A deafening roar reverberated through the air. Teng Shanhai, caught in the midst of his charge, was instantly blasted skyward by the explosion. Bailian, demonstrating exquisite control over the Cinderflame lineage's power, directed the blast's full force onto Teng Shanhai, who was clad in the Azure God Armor, without leaving any residual impact that could disturb Gu Qing'er's breakthrough.

Teng Shanhai, having barely stabilized himself in the sky, could no longer suppress the fury surging within him. He was the Head of the War Department, not the Head of the Patience Department!

"Bailian, do you truly believe I wouldn't dare attack you? Do you honestly think you can defeat me?" Teng Shanhai descended from the sky, glaring furiously. This time, before Bailian could respond, a shimmering of dao principles behind him suddenly revealed another figure.

"He might not be able to defeat you... but what about *you*? I'll fight you, Teng Shanhai, with one hand tied behind my back. Can you defeat me then?"

The black-clad, eyebrowless man descended, landing beside Bailian as his voice faded. His left hand rested behind his back, while his right hand was held out, a fierce black flame burning in his palm. As his figure solidified, everyone's pupils constricted in shock. This new, uninvited guest hadn't arrived alone; behind him loomed a towering, illusory shadow of nine dragons, colossal as a city, writhing and clawing.

"Boom!" A mere glance at the nine-dragon illusion caused a thunderous explosion in the minds of the Thirteen Grand Emptiness, leaving them utterly blank. Blood tears even streamed from their eyes. "A Sacred Image..."

Teng Shanhai also beheld the Sacred Image. Compared to the Thirteen Grand Emptiness, he had far too much experience encountering such an image. The last time he had seen this nine-dragon illusion, he had even had his Divine Spear of Silence forcibly taken, and his opponent then was merely Xu Xiaoshou, a Grandmaster realm cultivator.

"Nine Dragons Burning Ancestors..." Teng Shanhai struggled to utter the words, his knees trembling, nearly collapsing to the ground. A Sacred Image wielded by a Grand Emptiness realm cultivator was infinitely more potent than one held by a Grandmaster. It was akin to comparing the true forms of the Five Great Chaos Divine Artifacts to their wooden replicas.

Furthermore, beyond the "Nine Dragons Burning Ancestors" Sacred Image, this sudden arrival also possessed a power formidable enough to threaten him directly. Teng Shanhai's gaze fixed on the black flame held within the man's palm, instantly recognizing its origin. The Annihilation God Flame! A celestial flame born exclusively from the Azure Sky Divine Tree, one of the Nine Great Ancestral Trees. And this individual wielded the very essence of the flame, its power utterly undiminished!

"Eyebrowless, Annihilation God Flame, Nine Dragons Burning Ancestors... You are Mu Lin?!" Teng Shanhai finally shifted his gaze to the gaunt, shadowed face, enduring the discomfort caused by the Sacred Image's power, and managed to articulate, "You... how are you here?"

Theoretically, Mu Lin was of the same generation as Teng Shanhai, with Bailian being their junior. However, such generational distinctions held little weight beyond the Cinderflame lineage. On the Holy God Continent, everyone knew Mu Lin was counted among the elder supreme powerhouses. "Holy Palace Eyebrowless" was certainly not to be confused with "Holy Slave Sleeveless"!

Mu Lin was no naive fool in his rebellious youth, prone to betraying the Holy Palace at the slightest whim. He had diligently followed the Cinderflame Half-Saint Long Rong for decades, completing all the necessary cultivation within the Holy Palace and making comprehensive preparations for his own breakthrough to Half-Saint. How could such an individual, who consistently adhered to a Half-Saint's teachings, possibly be inferior in combat prowess to any other Grand Emptiness in the current era? Furthermore, Teng Shanhai himself would not even dare claim to be the strongest Grand Emptiness of his time!

Mu Lin maintained the Sacred Image for over ten breaths, and only after ensuring everyone present was completely subdued did he calmly deactivate it.

"If I hadn't appeared, were you, Teng Shanhai, planning to kill my disciple right here?" Mu Lin asked, his voice devoid of emotion. Teng Shanhai now understood that the situation was hopeless and beyond his control. "I wouldn't dare," he replied with a deep sigh.

From behind, Bailian rolled his eyes and whispered, "Master, he can't kill me." Mu Lin let out a cold snort, turning his head. "Even among Throne realm cultivators, a careless Grand Emptiness can be slain by a Dao realm cultivator. What makes you think you, merely a Severing Dao, are an exception?"

Bailian's face flushed, and he said no more. Teng Shanhai, however, had no time for the master and disciple's banter.

Since Mu Lin had made an appearance, Teng Shanhai, despite not fully understanding the situation, knew he had to explain everything to ensure the ancient sword cultivator's breakthrough wouldn't impact the battle. Yet, just as he was about to speak, Mu Lin waved a hand dismissively. "No need to elaborate," he said. "The internal world power of the Heavenly Machine will not be affected by that young man's breakthrough. Should circumstances change, I can intervene and isolate their respective powers."

A flicker of imperceptible surprise crossed Bailian's eyes; he didn't understand. What was wrong with Master? Was he going to help the Holy God Temple?

Teng Shanhai was both astonished and delighted. He was astonished that Mu Lin, a combat-oriented fire mage with no knowledge of Heavenly Machine arts, possessed a unique method capable of influencing Heavenly Machine dao principles. He was delighted because if Mu Lin dared to make such a declaration, then everything was guaranteed. He no longer needed to fear the sword cultivator's breakthrough jeopardizing Rao Yaoyao's strategic arrangements.

A sudden quiet fell over both parties. The air was once again filled solely with the humming sound of swords.

Following this brief interlude, Gu Qing'er's breakthrough clearly neared its conclusion. Mu Lin's command over the Sacred Image was exceptionally potent, in no way disrupting the trial participant's progression.

Soon after, the power of the golden sword sea above Solitary Sound Cliff began to stabilize. Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, the figure suspended in the center subtly stirred, appearing to emerge from a state of profound enlightenment.

"Hahahahaha!" The first sound to erupt was still an arrogant laugh, swiftly followed by joyous exclamations: "Gu Qingsan, you're done for! Just wait until I make you beg for mercy on your knees! Gu Qingyi, you too, just wait! If you ever dare to return, I'll make sure you experience the true power of the Ten Thousand Swords Art!" "And you, Wen... *cough cough*!" Bathed in golden light, Gu Qing'er was already spouting boastful words before he even managed to open his eyes. Nearing the end of his tirade, he suddenly coughed heavily twice, abruptly cutting short his outburst.

Sensing the vast knowledge he had drawn from the Great Dao of Swords flooding his mind, Gu Qing'er realized he had indeed broken through that significant bottleneck. He extended a hand. "Whoosh whoosh whoosh..." Among the 129,600 golden swords, only the nine tangible spirit swords swiftly returned to the sword wheel on his back.

With these actions complete, Gu Qing'er finally opened his eyes, which blazed with radiating sword intent, scanning all directions dismissively. He carved sharp sword marks into the ground and space of Solitary Sound Cliff. Then, as his vision regained its focus... "Huh?" Gu Qing'er froze instantly!

In his memory, the Solitary Sound Cliff had been empty just before his brief breakthrough. Yet, upon opening his eyes, he now saw more than a dozen figures not far away. Each of these formidable individuals was scrutinizing him with a mocking gaze, as if evaluating a clown.

The perplexed expression wasn't limited to the dozen-plus individuals opposite him; Gu Qing'er wore the same look. He stared at them in utter bewilderment for a long moment. Finally, his face, which had been flushed with triumphant joy, turned a deep, embarrassed crimson. "Someone came? Why didn't I sense them at all? When did these people arrive? They must have appeared just after I finished speaking, right? There's absolutely no way they were here the entire time, from the very beginning, is there?"

"Young man..." Before Teng Shanhai could even speak, Mu Lin stepped forward, attempting to force a gentle expression onto his face, and kindly inquired, "Did you encounter any surprises during your breakthrough?"

His gaunt, shadowed face with high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and no eyebrows, no matter how hard he tried to convey an expression, only made him look like a corpse suddenly animating, terrifying to behold. Bailian, standing nearby, abruptly shivered, startled by his master's unsettling demeanor. He instantly realized what move his master was about to make...

Not just Bailian, but everyone present was startled by Mu Lin's strained attempt at a friendly expression. Yet, from their perspective, there was nothing amiss with Mu Lin showing concern for a junior. However, to Gu Qing'er, these individuals' expressions and reactions appeared utterly terrifying.

The eyebrowless man in black, with a sinister expression, was inquiring about his breakthrough progress... What did he mean by that? What business was his breakthrough of yours? Gu Qing'er scrutinized the gloomy face opposite him once more, so frightened he nearly fled. However, he then remembered his recent breakthrough in the way of the sword. The individuals before him, who appeared quite formidable and were clad in peculiar, suspicious attire, did not seem like good people. They would, in fact, make excellent subjects for testing his new abilities.

Gu Qing'er had encountered enforcers previously. They always wore black robes with large hoods, projecting a distinct and righteous image. However, standing before him now were a seemingly prim old man in a Daoist robe, an eccentric old woman in linen, a hulking, muscular man with a grizzled face, a one-eyed man in armor, and a monstrous, eyebrowless figure resembling a reanimated corpse... Could any of these figures possibly be good people?

The thought that this was a group of unauthorized individuals, who might have witnessed his recent, unseemly "exhibition," filled Gu Qing'er with both shame and anger.

He raised his hands, and nine swords shot from his sword wheel. Teng Shanhai's heart tightened as he realized Mu Lin's appearance had terrified the young man. He quickly interjected, "Hold on..."

However, at that very moment, Mu Lin stepped in front of him, also extending a hand, and took the initiative to speak: "Wait, young man, we are not malicious, you mustn't attack us!"