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**
"Rise," the gray-robed youth said casually, lifting his hand slightly.
"Yes." The mysterious Dou Zong expert known as "Di" stood up respectfully and stepped behind the gray-robed youth.
Everyone was dumbfounded, staring at the scene in shock.
With his hands behind his back, the gray-robed youth slowly stepped forward atop the stone platform, his gaze fixed on the VIP seats. A trace of arrogance hung on his face as he said indifferently, "Now, can we talk about the pill formula?"
"Who exactly are you? Causing such a commotion in my Jia Ma Empire—was it all for the Soul Mending Pill formula?" Fa Ma took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions before speaking.
"Exactly," the gray-robed youth nodded. "This Venerable came for the Soul Mending Pill formula. Otherwise, do you really think I'd bother coming to this remote place to play games with a bunch of brats? As for who I am... you're not worthy to know."
This Venerable? Wei Yang's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the youth.
The title 'Zun'—'Venerable'—was not something just anyone could claim.
Those who understood the weight of that term felt a jolt in their hearts, their pupils contracting.
"That's right—this Venerable!" the gray-robed youth nodded arrogantly.
His gaze turned to Wei Yang, and he said calmly, "Kid, your talent isn't bad. Among the younger generation I've seen, you're worthy of being called a genius."
Then he turned to Xian'er and Xiao Yan, "You two little ones are not bad either. You're qualified to become my subordinates—follow me."
Dead silence swept the entire venue.
Master Wei, Lady Xian'er, Mister Xiao Yan—these three renowned figures... and they were only qualified to be his subordinates?
The gray-robed youth adjusted his sleeves with an air of composure and sighed slightly, "Originally, this Venerable intended to follow the rules of the tournament, take the championship, and walk away with the formula without making trouble. But—alas! It couldn't be helped!"
Everyone was speechless.
Wei Yang's brow twitched uncontrollably.
Subordinates?
...
"Now, hand over the Soul Mending Pill formula, and this Venerable will leave immediately—no more entanglements!"
A wicked smile curled on the youth's lips as his pair of icy blue eyes narrowed, gleaming with cold light. "Otherwise... I'll bathe the entire Sacred City in blood!"
Bathe the Sacred City in blood?!
Those words sent chills down the spines of everyone present. Their pupils contracted in shock.
"Even with a Dou Zong backing you, isn't your tone a little too arrogant?" Jia Xingtian growled, barely holding back his fury.
"That's right. From your subordinate's earlier strike, he's at most a One-Star Dou Zong. Do you really think that gives you the right to act so lawlessly?" President Fa Ma added coldly.
A One-Star Dou Zong was indeed powerful—stronger than anyone present.
But still, there were many Dou Huang here. They weren't just for show.
If they joined forces and fought to the death, the outcome might not be so one-sided.
Of course, once such a battle erupted, the entire imperial capital would likely be reduced to rubble.
But if pushed to the brink, that was a loss they might just have to accept.
"A One-Star Dou Zong isn't enough?" the gray-robed youth sneered. He clapped his hands lightly and said, "Then what about... these?"
At once, a wave of ominous foreboding swept over the crowd.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three more black-robed figures appeared suddenly at the edge of the square, hovering in midair. With Dou Qi wings flaring behind them, their figures shot through the air and came to a halt above the plaza.
Powerful auras belonging to Dou Huang-level experts radiated from their bodies.
Three Dou Huang!
One was an Eight-Star Dou Huang.
The other two were both Seven-Star Dou Huang.
These three hovered in the air and cupped their fists respectfully. "Greetings, Master!"
"Hahahaha! My warriors, you've come at just the right time!" The gray-robed youth burst out in wild laughter, then looked toward the high platform with a proud grin. "Now—how about it?"
The crowd fell into a heavy silence.
Three more Dou Huang—and all high-ranking at that.
Even trying to fight back now would be a massive gamble.
"If you choose to fight, who knows what will become of the empire... but as for the people present here? I doubt many will survive!"
"To preserve a mere formula... or to preserve the lives of the hundreds of thousands here today—that choice lies with you!" The gray-robed youth swept his gaze across the densely packed plaza and sneered.
Upon hearing this, countless faces filled with terror as all eyes turned toward the front rows of the VIP seats.
A Dou Zong and several Dou Huang clashing at full power? The aftershocks alone would leave nothing behind in the plaza. Not even a blade of grass.
No one wanted to die—especially not in such a meaningless way.
The elders' faces all turned grim.
...
"Decide now—fight or submit. This Venerable's patience is limited!" The gray-robed youth frowned, urging them coldly. "It's just a formula. You can recreate it anytime with a little effort. There's no real loss to you. Will you really let all these people die for a mere pill formula?"
In the spectator stands, countless faces turned to Fa Ma and the others with pleading eyes.
Finally...
"Give it to him," Fa Ma sighed.
He wasn't afraid of death.
But if pride meant allowing the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of innocent lives... he truly couldn't bring himself to make that choice.
It was just a formula. With some soul power and effort, it could always be replicated.
The loss wasn't significant—
Only the humiliation.
Jia Xingtian nodded in silence.
Of all those present, no one wanted to fight less than him—after all, he represented the royal family.
Hai Bodong turned around without saying a word, which counted as silent acquiescence.
Wei Yang closed his eyes and remained silent, giving a slight nod in agreement.
In any case, let that so-called "true body" strut around for a bit longer. Just endure it for now.
Since the decision was made, Fa Ma didn't waste any words. With a swift motion of his hand, a scroll of shimmering purple-silver appeared in his palm.
His hand slowly caressed the scroll. At last, under the urging gaze of the gray-robed youth, Fa Ma gritted his teeth and flung the scroll with force.
With that throw, it was as if all of Fa Ma's energy and spirit had been drained—his back even hunched slightly.
Many people clenched their fists tightly, eyes filled with humiliation as they witnessed this scene.
——
Whoosh~
The scroll turned into a stream of purple-silver light, shooting toward the gray-robed youth.
He hurriedly caught it, somewhat excited, then carefully unrolled it and began reading its contents with eyes closed.
Not far away, Xiao Yan's eyes were red, staring at the youth while clenching his fists and grinding his teeth.
This pill formula was the hard-earned reward for winning the championship!
And now, it was being so brazenly and openly read by the other party in public—this was nothing short of a ruthless slap to his face.
Within his sleeve, a trace of icy killing intent stirred, nearly impossible to suppress.
Moments later...
After reading the pill formula, the gray-robed youth reached up to pat his somewhat dazed head, yet a satisfied smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
A Tier 6 pill formula wasn't something anyone could casually read. Without sufficient soul power, one could be knocked unconscious instantly from the backlash.
Even with the gray-robed youth's soul power, his mind was still left a bit foggy.
However, he didn't mind at all. Instead, he felt deeply satisfied.
Although the process had been quite complicated, the pill formula was finally in his hands.
As long as he gathered all the ingredients and found an alchemy master to refine the pill for him, he could completely resolve the hidden danger within himself.
A soul possession wasn't something that could be carried out casually.
Moreover, the process was incredibly dangerous—one misstep and you'd end up a complete idiot.
Even if successful in the end, there was still the risk of the original soul influencing him, creating a dual-personality condition.
Yes… much like Medusa's situation: one body, two souls—or two personalities.
If he could help it, the gray-robed youth really didn't want to go through that kind of experience again.
"Once this body's hidden dangers are fully resolved, I'll return to my former cultivation level—jie jie jie~!"
Thinking of this, he solemnly put away the pill formula, then couldn't help but laugh heartily with satisfaction.
——
On the high platform, Wei Yang stared coldly at the gray-robed youth.
So did the other bigwigs, their hearts burning with rage, like volcanoes on the verge of erupting.
Yes, they had handed over the pill formula as a temporary compromise—but that didn't mean he'd walk out of the Jia Ma Empire easily.
The gray-robed youth understood this clearly as well. He remained composed, casting a glance toward Xian'er and Xiao Yan, rubbing his chin as he chuckled, "Heavenly Flame?"
Greed and burning desire were completely unhidden in his gaze, and just as he was about to speak—
"If you dare lay a finger on them, I'll strike immediately. A fight to the death!" Wei Yang's voice echoed through the entire plaza like the cold wind of midwinter.
Fa Ma, Jia Xingtian, and Hai Bodong also let their auras grow increasingly violent.
The tournament champion was their bottom line. If the gray-robed youth dared cross it, they'd risk everything without hesitation.
Seeing this, the gray-robed youth frowned and could only give up on that idea, albeit reluctantly.
He knew full well how dangerous his current situation was. Whether he could even leave the Jia Ma Empire safely was still uncertain.
If escorted by the Dou Zong beneath him, the odds of getting out were decent.
But... he'd likely have to give up the three Dou Huang guards currently stationed at the rear.
The gray-robed youth looked back at the three high-rank Dou Huang experts floating in the sky, feeling a pang of regret.
In truth, he had already prepared for this outcome mentally.
From the start, he had tried to go by the tournament's rules, just so he wouldn't have to pay this kind of price. Obtaining the pill formula under the title of champion would have been the ideal result.
Unfortunately...
Given the current situation, if he still tried to take Xian'er or Xiao Yan with him, it would only become a burden—he might even lose his life in the process.
So, after taking a deep breath, the gray-robed youth regretfully withdrew his gaze.
He turned to the Dou Zong subordinate beside him and ordered, "Let's go!"
"Yes."
The Dou Zong instantly grabbed the gray-robed youth, their figure soaring into the sky before swiftly transforming into a streak of light, speeding off toward the western gate of the imperial capital.
Behind them, the three high-rank Dou Huang followed quickly. Their formation subtly shifted into a circular pattern, falling far behind to serve as the rear guard.
"Very well!" Wei Yang took a deep breath, a flash of killing intent appearing in his eyes.
He scooped up Qing Lin, and with a flap of his massive black flame wings, his body turned into a black streak of light, shooting out from the plaza like a bolt of black lightning, hot on the enemy's trail.
Today—even if the heavens themselves come— you won't escape!
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