Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

"Commander Shi, are you planning to interfere with the Peach Blossom Banquet?"

In the front row of the stands, Li Yu could no longer sit still. He frowned and spoke.

"Mansion Master Li, you saw it too. He killed Bai Yujie."

Shi Chongwei said nothing more. His expression was cold and severe as he appeared to await Li Yu's decision.

Li Yu was silent.

He absolutely did not want to provoke a figure like Princess Changyue.

But Princess Changyue was not present, and Shi Chongwei was only the Fifth Commander, not nearly qualified enough to represent her will.

Moreover, Li Yu was not someone who couldn't distinguish right from wrong. After a long moment, he said pensively, "But everyone saw it with their own eyes. Bai Yujie was the one who tried to kill him first…"

"But the kid didn't die, did he?"

Shi Chongwei coldly interrupted Li Yu, causing Li Yu's brow to furrow even deeper.

"Bai Yujie is dead. To give Princess Changyue an explanation, I must take that kid's head."

"Otherwise, it will only tarnish the princess's reputation!"

"Besides, he was the one who broke the rules of the Peach Blossom Banquet first. I imagine, Mansion Master Li, you won't obstruct me, will you?"

Shi Chongwei's presence was overwhelming. Clearly, he had no regard for Li Yu, the Mansion Master of Dongxuan Prefecture.

He was ostensibly asking for Li Yu's opinion, but his tone was utterly tyrannical, leaving no room for doubt.

"You…!" Li Yu gripped the armrests of his chair, his expression shifting uncertainly.

"And what if I insist on stopping you?" At that moment, Li Jianyin, who was beside him, suddenly spoke.

He looked at Shi Chongwei coldly, his hand gripping an ancient-looking scabbard. An invisible storm of Sword Qi seemed to swirl around his entire body.

At the sight of Li Jianyin speaking, Shi Chongwei's gaze immediately hardened—an expression he hadn't shown even when facing Li Yu.

"The Heaven-Reaching Sword Institute might be able to protect you for a time, but it certainly can't protect you for a lifetime!"

"Besides, once those old fossils at the Sword Institute learn that you've provoked Princess Changyue, it's hard to say if they'll still risk offending the Great Hong royal family to stand up for you."

Shi Chongwei said nonchalantly.

"When have I ever needed those old geezers to stand up for me?"

"I alone am responsible for my actions."

Li Jianyin smiled.

"You insist on standing up for that kid?"

Shi Chongwei's brow furrowed. He seemed unable to understand why the esteemed Saint Heir of the Heaven-Reaching Sword Institute would go so far as to offend Princess Changyue for the sake of a young cultivator from the eastern part of the dynasty.

Ye Chen also looked over with great interest.

"Mansion Master Li, you had better keep your son in check, lest he do something irrational."

Shi Chongwei said coldly. If Li Jianyin were to intervene, he feared he would have no opening to deal with Ye Chen.

This once-in-a-millennium Sword Dao prodigy from the Heaven-Reaching Sword Institute possessed the strength to sweep the entire field. Even he had to treat him with extreme caution!

"He may be my son, but he's already grown up and has long since left Dongxuan Province to pursue his cultivation."

"As his father, I can't control him."

Li Yu shook his head, clearly intending to let things develop as they may.

This made Shi Chongwei's expression turn even uglier.

Of course, he couldn't vent his anger on Li Yu.

For one, Princess Changyue had warned him to treat Mansion Master Li well.

For another, Li Jianyin had the Heaven-Reaching Sword Institute behind him, which was no ordinary power—even the Great Hong Dynasty was quite wary of it.

Li Yu was likely relying on this backing, which was why he dared to ignore his words.

As Shi Chongwei fell silent, the venue was instantly plunged into silence.

No one had expected things to develop to this point.

This was a standoff between the enigmatically powerful Li Jianyin and the Fifth Commander under Princess Changyue. No one dared to interfere, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.

Even though many factions hoped for Ye Chen's death, they only watched quietly, not daring to make a rash move.

"I believe it's time to announce the winner of the Peach Blossom Banquet, don't you?"

In the midst of the heavy silence, Ye Chen's clear voice suddenly rang out, echoing in everyone's ears.

He looked toward Li Yu from afar, a smile on his face.

Li Yu hesitated. First place at the Peach Blossom Banquet naturally belonged to Ye Chen, but with Shi Chongwei watching like a tiger stalking its prey, he found it difficult to say anything.

The others secretly shook their heads, feeling that Ye Chen's action was forcing Li Yu's hand.

'Mansion Master Li is trying everything to speak up for you, yet you're forcing him to make a quick decision. Aren't you just putting him in a bind?'

'He has his misgivings. He can't just speak up for Ye Chen, but he doesn't want to abandon him either.'

Seeing Li Yu's pained expression, Ye Chen couldn't help but laugh. "Is it because this fellow is here that you're having trouble deciding, Mansion Master Li?"

He pointed at Shi Chongwei and said nonchalantly, "In that case, if I just kill him, everything will be settled, right?"

His words were casual, but to everyone's ears, they were heart-stopping and almost unbelievable.

'Ye Chen already killed Bai Yujie, and now he wants to go after Shi Chongwei too!'

'Isn't he worried at all about provoking Princess Changyue?'

Even Li Yu was stunned for a moment and couldn't find a response to Ye Chen's words.

Shi Chongwei's face was grim. He let out a cold laugh. "So this is the fearlessness of the ignorant?"

"Do you really think a few lucky breaks allow you to disregard all the powerful experts in the world?"

"Bai Yujie's death can only be blamed on his own incompetence."

"I will make you understand that compared to the cultivators of the Central Province, you are nothing but a frog at the bottom of a well."

A vast aura surged around Shi Chongwei.

But Li Jianyin did not stand idly by. A sharp Sword Intent radiated from him as he, too, watched like a tiger stalking its prey.

This made Shi Chongwei feel as if his hands were tied.

His expression was grave. He didn't dare make a move on Ye Chen, fearing a sneak attack from Li Jianyin from behind.

Just then, a great roar suddenly thundered across the arena, powerful enough to scatter the clouds in the highest heavens!

"Since young friend Li Jianyin wants to play with you, then you should humor him to the end."

"As for Ye Chen, we'll take care of him!"

A figure bathed in brilliant, rosy light strode through the air, like a god descending to the mortal world. His boundless might drew countless gazes.

Everyone looked over and was stunned to see a massive man wielding two hammers, hovering above the martial arts arena.

He was bare-chested, his eyes like torches, shooting out sharp glints of light. His divine might was overwhelming!

"Is that… one of the eight Grand Protectors of the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce, Teng Youxuan?"

People cried out in alarm one after another as they recognized the newcomer's identity.

"Teng Protector, you've finally arrived!"

In the encampment of the four great families, the experts from the Murong and Jin families all rose to their feet, their expressions excited and their tones filled with reverence.

Everyone knew full well that the reason the Murong and Jin families had joined forces with the Song family to hunt down Ye Chen was precisely because the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce was fanning the flames from behind the scenes!

No one had expected the Treasure Gathering Chamber of Commerce to place such importance on Ye Chen that they would dispatch a Protector just to deal with the young man on the field!