Tianming hadn't negotiated his plans with Jingyu and Qingyu beforehand, despite having made his decision days ago.
"How do you pledge to keep your word?" Li Xuanchen asked warily.
"It's simple. I'll just swear an oath here. All I have said is by my own, Li Tianming's will. Matters pertaining to my own life and death are for me to decide. If I die in battle, the Kunpeng Sacred Seal is yours. It would be nobody's fault but my own. Everyone here shall bear witness. If I die, you, Li Xuanchen, shall not be blamed or punished!" Every word of his had been closely considered. He was decisive and generous with his phrasing, as if death was no object to him.
"Very good. Has everyone else heard that?" Li Xuanchen said excitedly. He was elated that Tianming had made that proclamation himself. That way, nobody could say anything about it if Li Xuanchen killed the junior sect master. He would be able to lay claim to the seal boldly and justly. It would be much faster than waiting for someone to kill Tianming for him, not to mention he wouldn't have to give Qingyu to Yuwen Shengcheng. The crowd would be his witness.
"Brother Xuanyi, what do you think?" The two other patriarchs inquired as to Li Xuanyi's opinion. They had come to receive the bride, but it would be a good deal for them to be able to obtain the seal and kill the junior sect master justly. A mere Qingyu couldn't compare to the value of the Kunpeng Sacred Seal, after all.
Li Xuanyi turned back to his passionate eldest son, then to his chubby younger son.
"Dad, what if Big Brother loses?" Li Jincan asked in a troubled manner.
"Shut up!" Li Xuanchen slapped his brother so hard he almost fell off the cliff. He ended up bawling on the ground with a swollen face.
"Li Jincan, watch closely and see how I'm different from a piece of trash like you!" Li Xuanchen spat before he turned to Li Xuanyi.
"Dad, will you agree to it?"
Li Xuanyi didn't know when he had started losing control of his obedient son, but he couldn't deny his fighting spirit, nor his charisma and guts. Today, even if they escorted Qingyu back, they would have to give her to Yuwen Shengcheng for the sake of eventually getting the Kunpeng Sacred Seal. Now that Tianming had offered them a shortcut, how could he not agree?
"Xuanchen, since the junior sect master agrees, I'll give you a chance to challenge him for the Kunpeng Sacred Seal. Since our junior sect master has such high hopes for you and is willing to entrust you with the heavy burden of bearing the seal, you mustn’t disappoint him," Li Xuanyi solemnly said, much to his son's delight.
"Dad, don't worry. I'll give the junior sect master the greatest surprise of his life!"
It was set in stone. As neither Jingyu nor Qingyu were part of the conversation, the former looked anxiously at Tianming, who had put his life on the line without any apparent reason for his confidence.
"Granny, give me a chance. My mother taught me to live up to my own conscience and the confidence of others. Since you two have treated me well, I’ll use this chance to repay you. I ask your forgiveness for using the seal as a bargaining chip. If I lose, I’ll have failed the Li Saint Clan. However, this is a fight I can't walk away from. This is a fight I won't regret!"
"My precious grandson, you're mistaken. I don't care about that damned seal. I only want you to live on." Jingyu couldn't stop her tears from flowing.
"Sheesh, what kind of grandmother has such little faith in their grandson? Just sit there and wait. Let me show you how I'll send those crooks pissing off crying!" Despite his smug smile, the burning passion in his eyes couldn’t be hidden. For this family and his sister, death didn't matter to him. In life, one had to live without regrets and pay back others' kindness!
"Ling'er, come."
Currently, Feiling was attached to Qingyu. He turned back and saw his sister's eyes reddening up, so he gave her a pat on the shoulder.
"Big Brother, I dedicate my life to you! I will tear anyone who dares to harm you apart! I promise I'll cultivate with a hundred times the effort to protect my own dignity and my loved ones, and that includes you!" The look in her eyes was just like Tianming's.
"Little girl, relax. Smile for your brother, won't you?" As Tianming spoke, Feiling transferred into his body. The full synchronization caused his blood to boil.
Qingyu managed to squeeze out a hint of a smile.
"That's right, that's the smile I'm looking for. Now, let your big brother show you what it means to crack a skull open!"
He turned away and stepped toward Li Xuanchen with the Grand Thunderflare Sword in hand.
"Move away! Let them fight!" Li Xuanyi ordered. A space was cleared out right in front of the hall.
Li Xuanchen stood before Tianming, clad in golden chain mail that was definitely a grade-six beastial armament. It protected all the vitals around his body. He held a golden lance in his hand and looked just like a golden god of war. The tip of his lance was two-pronged, and it curled like a pair of snakes. His gigantic golden roc descended from the skies to his side; it looked just like Wei Tiancang and the others' Goldrocs, which was probably a sign that the Wei Clan was descended from the Metal Bloodline of the Li Saint Clan. This particular roc boasted an impressive sixteen golden wings, much more than Wei Tiancang's beast that had only had twelve. It was a Sixteen-winged Gold Kunpeng! Not only did it have a Sixteen-winged Goldroc form, it could also transform into a kun with sixteen fins.
The kunpeng flapped its wings, causing the ground to shake. Li Xuanchen pointed his grade-six two-pronged lance, Aurum Twinspike, at Tianming.
"Die!"
He burst with explosive power toward Tianming, alongside his kunpeng. Tianming only had two puny animals on his shoulder, though they looked much more terrifying than before.
"Kill!"
The little chick leapt into the skies while Meow Meow used Regal Chaosfiend to transform into a gigantic thunderbeast of darkness. Its four canines resembled giant swords covered in lightning bolts.
Tianming's bloodshot eyes contrasted against his white hair as he charged into the battlefield.