The atmosphere in the grand hall froze in an instant.
The Second Highness, Young Master Luan Qi, and the others all stared in shock at the unfolding scene. Even the top ten contenders of the ranking battle—such as the Lone Drunkard, Jiu She, and His Highness the Seventh Plum Rain—were taken aback.
After all, none of them had expected Dongbo Xueying to have such a fiery temper, striking without hesitation!
“Earlier, this Dongbo seemed so humble and courteous to everyone. Who would have guessed he’s so unyielding at his core?” The Second Highness looked down at Dongbo Xueying from his elevated seat, deep in thought. “I even told him about Ying Lao’er’s background, yet he still acted without hesitation. It seems this Dongbo… though mild-mannered, cannot be slighted.”
He immediately gained a clearer understanding of Dongbo Xueying’s character. In the future, when Dongbo Xueying held a high position within the Anhai Domain, the Second Highness’s deeper knowledge of him would facilitate smoother interactions.
“You—you—!” The silver-robed young man, General Ying, was nearly driven mad with rage. In all these years, who dared to strike him?
“Your mouth was so foul earlier. Consider this a lesson, and let the matter end here. I won’t pursue it further.” Dongbo Xueying remained seated calmly, his tone indifferent. “General Ying, I hope you understand—not everyone is someone you can provoke!”
General Ying trembled with fury.
Already teetering on the edge of sanity, he was now pushed further toward madness by Dongbo Xueying’s actions. This Dongbo had struck him repeatedly, yet still had the audacity to lecture him!
“Are you two just going to stand there like fools?” General Ying turned to the gray-robed elder and another male servant beside him, roaring, “Seize him! Capture him and his wife! I’ll make him regret crossing me!”
“Take action?” The gray-robed elder and the male servant hesitated.
The elder was a One-Heaven Realm God, while the servant was merely a peak Deity.
“But he’s the ranking battle’s champion, a participant in the Divine Court’s Myriad Flowers Banquet…” the gray-robed elder said hesitantly. The Divine Emperor had long issued strict orders forbidding any interference with the event.
“Useless! I said capture him, not kill him!” General Ying’s face twisted with rage. “I want him and his wife alive! He can’t be killed, but his wife holds no rank and isn’t part of the banquet. Move now, or face the consequences!”
Sensing his master’s near-madness, the gray-robed elder dared not disobey.
He turned to Dongbo Xueying, who remained seated at the table, calmly pouring wine into an undamaged cup. Their eyes met, and the elder couldn’t help but admire the man’s composure. “I have no choice. If I don’t act, the general won’t spare me. Forgive me.”
Boom—
As the Realm God’s domain unfurled, the gray-robed elder stepped forward, appearing beside Dongbo Xueying in an instant.
High above, the Second Highness frowned. The tall, lean elder attending him cast a cold gaze downward, and in that moment, an even more formidable domain enveloped the hall. Space itself seemed to shatter, faint currents of energy particles drifting ominously. Everyone present could sense the terrifying power within those slow-moving streams.
The gray-robed elder found himself immobilized. Though he could struggle free, the sheer disparity in strength was undeniable. He looked up helplessly.
“Lord Cang…” the gray-robed elder addressed the tall elder beside the Second Highness—Cang Chun, the Second Highness’s steward. A member of the mighty Cang Clan, which surpassed even the Longshan Pavilion in influence, Cang Chun owed a life debt to the Anhai Domain Lord. Before ascending to the Three-Heavens Realm God realm, he had vowed eternal service to the Long Clan, and the Domain Lord had assigned him to his second son.
“Enough.” The Second Highness’s voice was stern as he looked down. “Brother Ying, Dongbo is the champion of the Divine Court’s Myriad Flowers Banquet. His information has already been submitted to the Divine Court. Do you truly intend to capture him?”
“Second Highness, are you stopping me?” General Ying’s eyes burned with madness as he glared upward.
The Second Highness inwardly scoffed.
What a lunatic.
He had encountered many like Ying—those on the verge of their True Divinity Hearts collapsing, descending into madness. Normally, he avoided provoking such individuals. Had it not been for propriety, he wouldn’t have invited Ying at all. But refusing him outright? One could never predict what a deranged “madman” might do.
“Yes, I am stopping you,” the Second Highness declared coldly.
General Ying froze.
The Second Highness rarely opposed him so directly. But now, faced with such resolve, Ying was momentarily stunned. His authority meant nothing here.
“I’m stopping you for your own good,” the Second Highness continued. “Do you realize Dongbo hails from a Material World?”
“A Material World?” General Ying frowned. “What does that have to do with anything? He struck me! Do you think I’ll let this insult slide?”
The Second Highness sighed inwardly. *I told Dongbo to endure, planning to intervene only when Ying pushed further. Had Dongbo not acted, I could’ve easily defused this. But now… this Ying Lao’er is too far gone.*
He had hoped to earn Dongbo Xueying’s gratitude by stepping in at the critical moment. But Dongbo had moved too swiftly.
“He’s from a Material World and has cultivated for barely over two thousand years. Can’t you deduce the rest?” The Second Highness shook his head. “Brother Ying, Dongbo is a Material World Sovereign! The one attending this banquet is merely an avatar. His true self remains in the Material World. And I suspect his wife’s true form is there as well.”
“A Material World Sovereign? Both he and his wife’s true selves are there?” General Ying blinked. “So what?”
“Don’t you understand? They fear no death.” The Second Highness’s voice was icy. “Push them too far, and they’ll self-destruct without hesitation. They’d lose only an avatar, easily replenished. But recreating an avatar and regaining their strength in time for the tournament? Impossible.”
“If the ranking battle’s champion cannot participate, and the Divine Court learns it was your doing—given the Emperor’s strict decree—you’d bear the brunt of the consequences. What do you think would happen to you?”
General Ying paled.
“Not just you. Even your aunt and father would face repercussions for your actions.”
“Ah—” General Ying’s fury wavered.
He turned to Dongbo Xueying, who sipped his wine, utterly indifferent.
“Damn him!” General Ying seethed. “So that’s his game.”
Dongbo Xueying, however, was impressed.
*What a masterful play by the Second Highness. He suppresses Ying while making him feel indebted.*
But as for General Ying himself? Dongbo Xueying felt no fear.
Self-destruction?
That was the last resort—losing an avatar was no small matter.
In truth, Dongbo Xueying had long recognized the fundamental truth: aside from his own allies, the one who least wished him harm in this hall was none other than the Second Highness himself.
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