Jiang Yu's smirk was filled with relief and satisfaction. Having done all of this, he was ecstatic. Under the pressure of the morbid Theocrats, his heart had been twisted, hence his sick pursuit of beauty.
To destroy was to live forever? If he couldn’t have her when she was alive, he would die together with her.
Jiang Yu’s eyes were filled with madness, and the thick heavenly pattern tome in his hand had been stained with blood. A deadly threat emerged from the rare tome that was worth millions of saint crystals. It seemed as if Jiang Yu wasn’t holding a heavenly pattern tome, but a primordial beast.
Tianming was furious! In fact, being targeted this way was only to be expected. His reaction would have been frosty at most, instead of such fury. But who knew Jiang Yu would actually target Feiling instead! The previous time, he beheaded Su Hongyin, and this time, his rage resembled a volcano, mid-eruption.
Fortunately, the Dao Palace was prepared for this. The four Hall Kings had allowed him to declare war by trampling on the Theocrats and fighting for first place. Such precautions were the minimum requirement.
Tianming wasn’t afraid of competing with the others, or worried about their use of illegal hidden trump cards. Just a few days ago, Bai Mo had given him three life-saving artifacts.
They were three saintly heavenly pattern tomes–two with two stars and one with four. Bai Mo allowed Tianming to use them accordingly. If his opponent used a two star heavenly pattern tome, then he was to use his two star tome to block the attack.
The grade of heavenly pattern tomes could be judged by their thickness.
At the time, Tianming thought that he had struck gold. However, Bai Mo soon reminded him that the tomes were to be returned if he didn't need them. After all, the four star heavenly pattern tome was worth hundreds of thousands of saint crystals, even close to a million. And even if one had the money, it still might not be available in the market. A four star patternscribe like Bai Mo needed at least a year or two to create such a tome, and his success rate wasn’t high.
Obviously, in order to keep Tianming alive, they were willing to use these treasures. This was why Tianming was enraged, but not flustered. After all, the Theocrats weren’t the only wealthy ones in the Divine Capital.
At a glance, Tianming could tell the heavenly pattern tome in Jiang Yu's hands was at least four stars from its thickness. A one star heavenly pattern tome was worth thousands of saint crystals; a two star was worth tens of thousands of saint crystals; a three star was worth two to three hundred thousand saint crystals; and four star heavenly pattern tomes were worth almost a million saint crystals!
Tianming didn't hesitate to pull out the four star heavenly pattern tome given to him by Bai Mo—the Still Spirit Barrier. Any hesitation and he would die!
As soon as it was activated, the tome turned into a transparent spherical barrier, protecting Tianming within. Naturally, Feiling was also within its scope of protection.
At the next moment, Jiang Yu’s heavenly pattern tome turned into a black paw that stretched toward the two, but it was blocked by the Still Spirit Barrier.
"Necrosoul Lock Tome!" someone exclaimed.
The black claw scratched the barrier, making a harsh sound. However, the Still Spirit Barrier was as immovable as a mountain. This was a treasure of the same grade, so Tianming and Feiling were safe and sound.
"Big Brother, I read the introduction of this tome. It can lock onto a soul and completely annihilate it, leaving nothing behind. However, it’s different from Feng’s soul attack. This so-called locking of the soul just means locking on to the target soul. It’s locked on now, but its power is still being blocked by the Still Spirit Barrier." Feiling sounded relieved.
"You mean, we're okay?"
"Yes, don’t worry."
"Alright."
Though relieved, his monstrous rage was still there. Tianming’s eyes were red as he stared at Jiang Yu.
"Are you all sick? What did Ling’er do to provoke you? Everyone’s coming for her! First Su Hongyin and now you!”
As the two treasures battled, Jiang Yu suddenly crumpled in pain and despair. This time, he had defied Dongyang Fengchen in order to realize his most absurd desire. Yet now he failed. The power of the Necrosoul Lock Tome gradually dissipated, having failed to inflict the slightest harm upon Feiling.
"Hahaha..." When everything had faded, Jiang Yu appeared forlorn as he clutched his chest in response to the big blow he had just received. "Tianming, you can't keep her. You can protect her today, but there’ll come a time you’ll regret this. By then, it’ll be too late!" Jiang Yu roared with laughter.
Tianming approached him with the Grand-Orient Sword in hand.
"It's a pity she’s so short-lived. She’ll soon be a withered willow." His eyes were filled with despair.
Tianming couldn’t bear to listen any longer.
At this moment, Jiang Yu pulled out a dagger and plunged it into his own heart. Another suicide!
"Remember, my name is Dongyang Yu, not Jiang Yu!"
As expected of an Ancient Theocrat, dying so decisively.
Right then, something unexpected happened. Tianming's sword flew toward Jiang Yu's dagger!
"Doesn't he want Jiang Yu to die?" Many wondered.
But soon, the suspense was lifted. Tianming’s Grand-Orient Sword pierced through Jiang Yu's chest.
"My apologies. You won’t be given the chance to suicide before me!"
The moment Tianming withdrew his sword, a stiff Jiang Yu had his eyes wide open. But in the next moment, he fell flat on the ground, silent and breathless. The result was the same, but the process was worlds apart. Jiang Yu hadn’t committed suicide, but was killed by Tianming. For the Theocrats, one had died decisively, while the other died in shame.
With the Grand-Orient Sword stabbed into the platform, Tianming was still enraged. The reason he had dissuaded Ye Fengling from killing his opponent was because the situation was different at the time. However, Jiang Chengfeng's suicide was already a controversy. Additionally, Jiang Yu had used a four star heavenly pattern tome meant to kill. From the very first attack, it was a life-and-death battle.
In fact, the decisive battle for the Earth Ranking this year had changed, and so had its significance. The conflict between Tianming and the Theocrats had reached the point of no return.
At this moment, Tianming leaned on the Grand-Orient Sword, looked up, and scanned the spectators as he roared with rage, “Any other bastards so generous they’d spend two million saint crystals just to kill me? If any of you have that much to spare, you might as well take out your saint crystals and buy a life."
At the thought of this, Tianming was upset. Together, Ling’er and Tianming earned a little more than ten thousand saint crystals a month. If there was no progress in patternscribing, they would require twenty years to earn two million. Had the Theocrats’ determination to kill him reached this extent?
"If you dare, then stand up instead of playing these dirty, unscrupulous tricks. Shouldn’t you be open and aboveboard to be worthy of your honorable identity as Theocrats?" Tianming grinned.
His words caused a sensation in the Decimo Dao Battlefield. Tianming had defeated Jiang Yu, won first place in the Earth Ranking, escaped an attack worth a million saint crystals, and even spoken sarcastically to the Theocrats. This kind of humiliation was something they had never seen.
"Go to hell!"
"How dare you!"
The elders of the Theocrats jumped up and rushed toward the battlefield.
A transparent barrier suddenly appeared over the battlefield. Layer upon layer of dense heavenly patterns covered the surface—three in total—completely sealing off the entire Decimo Dao Battlefield. At the same time, the Theocrats were blocked outside.
This was the Decimo Dao Barrier, a five star heavenly pattern barrier at the same level as the Bloodbane Barrier. But while the power of the Bloodbane Barrier lay in killing, the power of the Decimo Dao Barrier lay in its defense.
One by one, the Theocrats crashed into the barrier and bounced off.
"Stop!”
Right then, the Hall Kings appeared on the azure hall, accompanied by a number of Hall Lords. There was also a man dressed in black—the eldest prince, Dongyang Fen.
Their expressions were ugly. For the Theocrats, what Tianming had done was a direct provocation. Even if it was slight, they couldn't bear it, what’s more it was from the son of the sinner, Li Muyang.
Blocked by the Decimo Dao Barrier, their cold gazes were obvious. Perhaps in their hearts, they had already given Tianming the death sentence.
Tianming knew that this day would come sooner or later. Technically speaking, killing Jiang Yu wasn’t an issue. After all, he wasn’t the first to break the rules.
As for these people, there was no way he would show them the slightest courtesy. Even if he knelt before them, they would still kill him. So why bother? In order to protect him, Bai Mo had even taken out a four star heavenly pattern tome, which already explained everything.
"You don't have to be so excited, do you? Jiang Yu, a disciple of the Earth Hall, has been defeated by Tianming and lost his place on the list. However, he went against the rules and used a four star heavenly pattern tome that didn’t belong to him. In retaliation, Tianming killed him. His move is reasonable. This is a competition between the disciples of the Dao Palace, and the rules of the Dao Palace shall prevail. Please don’t go against the rules. Otherwise, the ten Hall Kings and I will have to invite you out," said Bai Mo.
He sounded neither servile nor overbearing as his voice spread to the ears of the Theocrats. Of course, those who were agitated were only tens of thousands, at most. Right now, they stood still without losing their grace—that is, if the Theocrats had possessed any grace to begin with.
It was shameful to kill someone in public, in violation of the rules, and having that pointed out by someone else. But Bai Mo's words were hard to refute. The six Hall Kings of the Theocrats and their supporters seemed to have nothing to say in regards to being forced to represent the Dao Palace.
"Sit down. There’s still half a day in the battle for the Earth Ranking so it’s not over yet. It’s uncertain who the winner and loser might be," said the Death Hall King, Jiang An.
His position in the imperial family was rather high. Even when his grandson, Jiang Chengfeng, had committed suicide, he failed to respond. Clearly, he was a cold-blooded man. The Theocrats all had many children, not to mention grandchildren, so the death of one was nothing. At most, they suffered a degree of humiliation.
"Haven't you lost yet?" Weisheng Yumo glanced at Jiang An.
By this point, Bai Zijin had already placed Tianming's name at the top of the list. Since Jiang Yu and Jiang Chengfeng were dead, they were removed from the list.
First place: Li Tianming.
Second place: Ye Lingfeng.
Both were from the Future Hall.
Within their age group, who else in the entire Decimo Dao Palace could compete with them?