Spirit Realm

After Qin Lie entered Armament Sect’s entrance, the ice quickly melted under the bright, blazing sun.

The icicles that were like numerous swords dripped crystalline droplets of water as they fell onto Ying Xingran and Luo Zhichang’s shoulders.

Ying Xingran and Luo Zhichang’s face had darkened as the anger in their hearts was incited by Qin Lie yet again. At this moment, they were still angrily yelling about how Qin Lie was an ungrateful fellow and was incomparable to Liang Shaoyang when it came to etiquette or the greater good.

Xie Jingxuan, Liang Zhong, Wu Tuo, and the heads of various forces did not scatter immediately. Instead, they walked forward in succession to greet Ying Xingran.

As Armament Sect’s sect master, Ying Xingran had very seldom showed his face for a very long time like today due to his injuries.

The many people who were planning on making a connection with Armament Sect quickly rushed in upon seeing the opportunity and congratulated Ying Xingran.

“Congratulations to Armament Sect for the birth of a new genius in the martial way!”

“With Tang Siqi forging artifacts on the inside and Qin Bing assuming command at Blood Spear, Armament Sect will certainly soar to greater heights!”

“The future of Armament Sect is limitless!”

“……”

Xie Jingxuan and Liang Zhong had also walked over. Watching the crowd flattering Ying Xingran with Wu Tuo as their leader, they too let out a sigh of relief.

Tang Siqi’s feelings were mixed. Qin Lie’s words resonated repeatedly inside her head: I will help you take back everything!

“He did it!”

“He actually did it!”

Even at this point, Tang Siqi still found it slightly hard to believe that Liang Shaoyang was truly dead; she couldn’t believe everything that was happening before her!

“Siqi, Qin Bing may be reckless and foolhardy, but the fact that he was willing to do everything in his power to kill Liang Shaoyang and sacrifice his life for you alone is…” Lian Rou herself was touched as she said softly, “He’s worthy of you to treat him seriously.”

Tang Siqi’s body shuddered slightly as ripples appeared within the lake of her heart, and as she thought over the events, the ripples only grew larger and larger.

“Sect Master, what are we going to do with Liang Shaoyang?” Second Elder Tan Dongling asked softly.

Ying Xingran, whose expression had grown weak suddenly froze before staring at Liang Shaoyang’s corpse from afar. He instructed, “Give him a proper burial.”

“He is Liang Yangzu’s son. Liang Yangzu will not let this go after his son was murdered at Armament Sect’s entrance just like that,” said Tang Dongling with a heavy expression.

Right now, Ying Xingran, the three great reverends, Mo Hai, and the seven great elders had already retreated back into the sect.

Those passionately congratulating heads of other forces were blocked from entering by the outer sect elders. They could only lift their heads and look towards the entrance, wanting to know what kind of decision Ying Xingran and the three great reverends would make.

“Liang Yangzu will be a bit troublesome to handle.” Luo Zhichang also frowned.

“The key is that when Qin Bing killed Liang Shaoyang, there was no legitimate reason at all. He just killed him and that’s it.” Tang Dongling analyzed, “Moreover, there were many people who witnessed it at the entrance, so we can’t find an excuse to cover it up either. According to Armament Sect’s rules, Qin Bing should have been executed.”

“Liang Yangzu will definitely want an explanation,” Fang Qi also agreed.

Ying Xingran’s face turned dark. “Give me some time to think about this some more. I will see if this Qin Bing is truly worthy of Armament Sect investing everything in him. I will see if he is worth us clashing against Dark Shadow Tower.”

“This kid is a little arrogant.”

“Mn, he’s a little presumptuous.”

“He thinks too highly of himself!”

Everyone expressed their agreement.

“We will see how he performs. If he is still of the same attitude, then we may have no choice but to sacrifice him for the sect’s stability.” Ying Xingran was also a little disgusted by Qin Lie’s arrogance.

He had seen too many splendid disciples. However, no matter how talented a disciple was, they had always been respectful towards him and the three great reverends.

Liang Shaoyang might have been slightly arrogant at the inner and outer sect, but even he was respectful and polite in front of them. In this aspect, they really couldn’t pick out a single flaw.

On the other hand, Qin Lie was completely different.

He was a thorn through and through!

He was obviously in danger, and if Ying Xingran gave the word, then he would be thrown into Fire Prison Cliff to be burned to death.

Under this circumstance, anyone with a functional brain would have known their place and acted more obedient when they had changed their attitudes.

But this Qin Lie was actually arrogant enough to contradict them!

This completely unexpected move greatly angered Ying Xingran and the three great reverends, causing them to feel that this kid was ineducable.

“Well, we’ll see.” Luo Zhichang also sighed, “No matter how good his martial talent is, if he is just a reckless boor, then he is not worthy to have us wholeheartedly cultivate him.”

Everyone nodded silently.

……

On the stony path leading to Flame Volcano.

Tong Jihua and Cheng Ping kept watch of Qin Lie on both sides to prevent him from escaping and disobeying the rules.

Along the way, there were many Armament Sect martial practitioners who had already learned of the happenings at the entrance and were all staring at Qin Lie with utmost shock.

Pang Feng, Ouyang Jingjing, Tian Jianhao, and the rest were also among the crowd. They were all sizing up Qin Lie.

“Holy shit, so he’s actually a madman. Thank god I didn’t really offend him.” Dark Asura Hall’s Tian Jianhao inwardly rejoiced at his good fortune with an odd expression.

Before he had entered the sect, he had been knocked right off his feet by Qin Lie when he jumped the queue in front of Qin Lie.

At the time, he had sworn in his heart to teach Qin Lie a lesson when he got the chance.

Before he had the chance to act though, he had suddenly heard that the recently arrogant and domineering Liang Shaoyang, the man said to be a child blessed by the heavens, was actually killed by Qin Lie at the sect’s entrance.

Tian Jianhao was completely shocked by the news.

It was also at this moment that he made up his mind once more—he would never provoke this crazy lunatic ever again.

“Why must you act like this, Qin Bing? Sect Master and Chief Reverend were ready to exempt you. Why would you still challenge the sect master’s patience?” Tong Jihua could not figure it out no matter what, and so, he couldn’t help but ask midway, “From my understanding of your character for the past few days, you are not a foolish person. You should know very well that offending the sect master and three great reverends will bring you no benefit. So why did you still choose to do this?”

The same question had confounded Elder Cheng Ping.

As long as one wasn’t stupid, one should know to obediently bend their backs in that kind of situation.

That kind of unreasonable and baseless arrogance would only cause him to lose control and incite the sect master’s anger.

It might even cause the sect master and three great reverends to change their minds and decide to burn him to death at Fire Prison Cliff with the earth fire in accordance with the sect’s rules out of sheer anger.

—It would also placate Dark Shadow Tower for what had happened.

Tong Jihua and Cheng Ping both could not understand.

“Just because Liang Shaoyang had caused a response in the spirit pattern pillars, just because he had shown talent in artifact forging, just because he was good at using those devious and despicable methods, I had been bitten by the Eclipse Insect previously and then attacked by Gray Shadow and Black Shadow at Free Trade Street. Both times I almost died.”

Qin Lie’s eyes were filled with chilliness and his tone was indifferent.

“With the sect master and three great reverends’ experience, they should know what he has done before and that he has tried to kill me twice. But Liang Shaoyang was perfectly fine. There was no one who punished him, and all of you outer sect elders also pretended that nothing had happened.”

He looked towards the two people. “According to Armament Sect’s rules, anyone who dares to kill a sect disciple will be burned to death with the earthfire of Fire Prison Cliff. But why was Liang Shaoyang still left alive? The sect master, the three great reverends and you. What have you ever done for me? In your eyes, Liang Shaoyang’s life is a life and mine isn’t, is it?”

Tong Jihua and Cheng Ping’s expressions were full of shame as they stuttered but could not say anything in response.

This was because everything Qin Lie said was true.

There had never been such a thing as true fairness in this world. The sect master and three great reverends themselves had not obeyed the rules of Armament Sect.

“Not only was Liang Shaoyang perfectly fine, he had even become the treasure in the sect master and three great reverends’ eyes. They had even passed over Senior Sister Tang’s secret scriptures to him and trained him to be the future sect master,” Qin Lie’s tone was cold. “And this all happened simply because Liang Shaoyang had caused a reaction in the spirit pattern pillars, that he had shown outstanding talent, and that he was somewhat ‘humble’ in front of the sect master and three great reverends?”

Tong Jihua and Cheng Ping had become silent.

“If I hadn’t caused a world-altering phenomenon with a concept, if I hadn’t displayed my talent in the martial way, would you have pleaded for me just now?” Qin Lie exclaimed solemnly.

Tong Jihua and Cheng Ping continued to stay silent.

“You won’t.” Qin Lie answered for them, “If I was just a normal martial practitioner, then you would never waste your breath on me. You would not suffer the risk of being reprimanded by the sect master to do anything for me. If I was just a normal martial practitioner, then the sect master and three great reverends would never have allowed me to continue to live.”

“It is as you say.” Tong Jihua’s expression was bitter.

“There really is no true fairness,” Cheng Ping sighed softly.

“I’ve also seen through this—you can say that I’ve come to a true understanding. That’s also why no matter what I say to the sect master of three great reverends, I will be perfectly fine in Armament Sect in the future.” Qin Lie stood still. At this moment, he had walked over to the twelve spirit pattern pillars in the plaza, lifted his head up towards one of them, and suddenly declared, “From here on out, I will be able to do anything I want in Armament Sect! Do you believe me?”

Tong Jihua and Cheng Ping looked stunned.

“Just because Liang Shaoyang was able to cause a reaction in one of the spirit pattern pillars, he turned from a normal outer sect disciple to a ‘heaven-blessed child’ in the eyes of the sect master and three great reverends.” Qin Lie shook his head and let out a cynical look. “It was just one spirit pattern pillar, and yet the sect master and three great reverends placed all their bets on him. What a joke!”

“There are only twenty seven people in the nine hundred years of Armament Sect’s existence who could read the diagrams on the spirit pattern pillars and cause a reaction.” Tong Jihua said seriously, “The spirit pattern pillars don’t lie, and the fact is all twenty seven people have become the pride of Armament Sect in their respective generations. Liang Shaoyang is the twentieth eighth person, and if he didn’t die, then he would become a great master artificer in the future as well. There is no mistaking this point.”

“You are sure the spirit pattern pillars won’t lie?” Qin Lie laughed coldly.

“They know better than anyone who is the future of Armament Sect, which is why the sect master and three great reverends descended the mountain together after a spirit pattern pillar was lit up.” Cheng Ping continued calmly, “The light of the spirit pattern pillar is the fire and hope of Armament Sect. Once a spirit pattern pillar has lit up, it means that Armament Sect has given birth to a new artifact forging genius.”

“Then what if I light them all up for you?” Qin Lie suddenly sat down in the middle of the twelve spirit pattern pillars.