Wen Qingye took out the Snow Lotus. It was pure white, its petals shimmering with a purple halo. He then removed a few of its seeds.

His cultivation had only recently broken through, so Wen Qingye planned to train here for a while before leaving. In any case, the cold tide had already vanished, and the location was quite secluded.

The Ice Python coiled around Wen Qingye’s finger and fell into a deep sleep.

...

「Yul Country, Imperial City.」

The crowd gathered before the Water Curtain, stunned to see Guann Xuan and the members of Lanyu Country appear inside the stone cave.

"Huh, why hasn’t Jiangg Tian shown up?"

"You don’t think he ran into trouble in there, do you?"

"Why are the Lanyu Country people fine? Don’t tell me they’re the ones who killed him?"

「Heng Country, Imperial City.」

"Zhangg Jing is dead? Those people from Lanyu Country are detestable!"

"Aren’t our two countries allies?"

"We demand an explanation from Lanyu Country!"

The crowd from Heng Country, their faces flushed with rage, began to shout indignantly.

...

「Celestial Martial Country, Phoenix City.」

"What!?" Madam Yao leaped to her feet. "The engagement is off? How? How could this be?"

Wen Xu sighed deeply. "It’s true," he said.

"Why? Why? For heaven’s sake, why?" Madam Yao collapsed into a chair, speaking in a daze.

’Was our dream of Tongyu becoming the Prince Consort of the Celestial Martial Country shattered just like that?’

"I’ll head to the Imperial City shortly and find out what’s going on," Wen Xu said, rising to his feet.

As Wen Xu stood, his body trembled slightly, a hint of exhaustion in his eyes.

Wen Xu walked toward the rear courtyard. It was chilly and sprawling. After walking for what seemed like an age, he finally reached the courtyard where Madam Liu resided. He paused for a moment, then gritted his teeth and slowly stepped inside.

...

The news of the princess breaking her engagement with Wen Tongyu spread quickly, sending shockwaves through Phoenix City—no, through the entire Celestial Martial Country.

「Three days later, in the heart of the Imperial City.」

Ling Wei stood clad in red, her lips the color of blood. With arms crossed, her beautiful eyes were fixed on the Water Curtain before her.

Most people were watching the Water Curtain, their hearts pounding with anxiety.

But Ling Wei was different. Her expression was languid, as if she couldn’t care less.

On the Water Curtain.

A vast forest stretched out, its trees a vibrant green. Above, white clouds drifted lazily across the sky as a few rays of sunlight pierced through to illuminate the land below.

Several corpses lay on the ground, all of them from the Divine Wind Country. Standing nearby were the people of Purple Sun Prefecture, along with Yann Xiangyang, Yann Chuxue, Shen Yanxing, and others from Celestial Academy and Qig Mountain Academy.

Wen Tongyu watched the man before him with a grave expression, a bad feeling welling up inside him.

The man was none other than Tong Tian. He stood there as the wind howled, whipping his hair about and giving him an air of domineering wildness.

Tong Tian stared at Wen Tongyu, his voice tight. "You’re Wen Tongyu?"

"That’s right. Wen Tongyu of the Celestial Martial Country," he replied, nodding.

Tong Tian gave a slight nod. His eyes, filled with boundless killing intent, swept over the corpses of his countrymen. He parted his lips and said, "Consider yourselves lucky that I haven’t already hunted down everyone from the Celestial Martial Country."

Tong Tian paused here, his tone suddenly growing sharp. "But why did you have to kill people from my Divine Wind Country?"

Wen Tongyu scoffed. "Our two countries have a long history of animosity. So what if I killed them?"

As he spoke, Wen Tongyu drew himself up, his face a mask of proud defiance.

Hearing Wen Tongyu’s response, Tong Tian fell silent.

"Why did you have to force my hand?" Tong Tian sighed.

As he spoke, Tong Tian began to walk toward Wen Tongyu. His first step seemed perfectly ordinary.

BOOM!

But the expressions of the Celestial Martial Country group changed instantly. Yann Xiangyang, who had the lowest cultivation, began to tremble uncontrollably.

With every step Tong Tian took, it was as if he and the mountains had become one. Each advance felt like a colossal mountain crashing down, making everyone’s heart pound in their chest.

Wen Tongyu gripped his sword tightly, his own Qi Sea churning in turmoil.

Suddenly, Tong Tian stomped his foot and shot into the air, making the very earth tremble. An image of mountains and rivers connecting heaven and earth materialized behind him—ancient peaks that seemed to pierce the clouds. A vast, powerful aura bore down on them all.

"Mountain River Palm Technique!"

Each word Tong Tian spoke boomed like thunder, echoing in everyone’s ears.

A Palm Seal materialized in the air, instantly scattering the surrounding Primordial Qi and creating a vacuum. The onlookers felt a crushing sense of oppression.

Facing Tong Tian’s divinely powerful palm, Wen Tongyu, sword in hand, snapped his eyes open and slashed out.

"Purple Sun Sword Technique!"

The Purple Sun Sword Technique was a Peak of Eighth Grade Swordsmanship from the Purple Sun Prefecture. Very few were ever able to learn it, but Wen Tongyu happened to be one of them.

A ray of purple light erupted from the edge of Wen Tongyu’s sword, tearing through the air as it flew toward Tong Tian.

BANG!

Tong Tian’s expression remained indifferent, his eyes as calm as still water. The Palm Seal continued forward. With a single strike, it shattered Wen Tongyu’s purple Sword Aura before heavily striking his right arm.

Wen Tongyu’s body shot backward. Wen Shibei caught him just as he violently spat out a spray of blood.

A single palm strike!

Tong Tian had defeated Wen Tongyu with a single palm strike!

Back in the Celestial Martial Country, the crowd erupted in an uproar.

"This... Wen Tongyu was defeated just like that?"

"How... how could that happen? That’s impossible..."

"That Tong Tian from the Divine Wind Country... he’s terrifyingly strong."

...

The faces of those standing behind Wen Tongyu turned pale. A silent terror began to spread among them.

’If even Wen Tongyu was defeated in a single blow, who among them could possibly be a match for Tong Tian?’

Tong Tian looked over the group and sneered, "The path of the Martial Dao is long and arduous. While I, Tong Tian, am not a bloodthirsty man, I am not merciful either. All of you from the Celestial Martial Country will accompany my fallen countrymen in death."

With that, Tong Tian leaped forward, rushing straight for Wen Tongyu. It was clear his first target was Wen Tongyu. A greatblade appeared in his hand—its blade wide and its body so heavy that no ordinary person could lift it. He had clearly drawn it from a Sumeru Ring.

Injured by Tong Tian’s palm strike, Wen Tongyu was in no condition to dodge.

Just then, a figure moved to stand in front of Wen Tongyu.

THUNK.

Blood sprayed through the air, staining the ground red.

Tong Tian pulled back his blade and retreated several steps.

"Shibei!"

A sharp glint flashed in Wen Tongyu’s eyes as he stared at the man who had taken the blow for him. Blood gushed from the wound in Wen Shibei’s torso.

Wen Shibei’s face was ashen, his eyes half-closed. Blood trickled ceaselessly from the corner of his mouth.

Tong Tian’s eyebrow twitched. "I never go back on my word. You killed three people from my Divine Wind Country. Today, I will kill every last one of you from the Celestial Martial Country."

With another leap, Tong Tian charged forward again.

"Run!"

Wen Tongyu roared at the others, his eyes bloodshot.

Seeing Tong Tian charge toward them, everyone turned pale with fright.

"Xiangyang, let’s go!" Yann Chuxue cried, pulling Yann Xiangyang as she bolted into the distance.

Tong Tian’s eyes were ice-cold and devoid of emotion. He pivoted and quickly caught up to Ling Quan. Terror seized Ling Quan’s heart. He glanced around instinctively, but everyone else was like a flock of startled birds, already scattered and fleeing in every direction. Who would spare a thought for him now?

CRACK! 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Tong Tian slammed his palm onto the crown of Ling Quan’s head. Ling Quan had no time to react. The light faded from his eyes as he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.

Ling Quan! Dead!