After the Da Li delegation appeared, a hint of cold flashed in Pei Xuanjing's eyes because he felt the residual sword intent he had left that day.
"Master?" The Crown Prince looked at Pei Xuanjing, a questioning look in his eyes.
Pei Xuanjing flashed a light smile: "It's nothing serious, I just discovered the person who attempted to assassinate me on Long Street that day!"
"Huh?" The Crown Prince's expression darkened, he asked aloud, "Who is it?"
Pei Xuanjing just smiled, not speaking, his gaze landing on the group of people from the Da Li delegation.
Ever since Feng Yan was injured by Pei Xuanjing's sword Qi that day, he had been practicing in solitude at his station trying to dispel the sword Qi.
Unfortunately, even with Ashina Zhenlu's help, he could only seal the sword Qi in one place, he was unable to completely dispel it.
As a Heavenly Rank powerhouse, he knew well that the presence of the sword Qi in his body would resonate if they were close enough, revealing his true identity.
Hence, even on the big competition days, he did not appear, instead staying at his station, avoiding any chance of encountering the other party.
Unfortunately, the last day was a major event and as one of the deputy leaders of the delegation, he could not avoid appearing.
However, after days of training, he had added multiple seals to the sword Qi, giving him some confidence in avoiding detection by the other party.
But to Feng Yan's horror, just as he stepped into the place, the sword Qi within his body began to stir, seeming to show signs of flowing again.
"What's wrong?" Ashina Zhenlu, who was keenly aware of Feng Yan's movements by his side, asked in a low voice.
Feng Yan looked a bit uncomfortable as he replied, "The sword Qi has a response, he has discovered me."
"Hm!" Ashina Zhenlu's expression also changed slightly, he had not expected that the sword Qi which the two had suppressed together would be exposed as soon as they stepped into the place.
With a sigh in his heart, Ashina Zhenlu thought, he should have found some excuses to stop Feng Yan from coming here.
Unfortunately, it was too late. All he could do now was to reassure Feng Yan by saying, "Don't worry, it's okay to reveal your identity. The other party won't tear their face off under these circumstances, it won't just be us who end up embarrassed."
Yes, under the current circumstances, even if the Great Tang knew that they were the culprits who attempted to assassinate Pei Min, they would not expose it at this time, they would only temporarily suppress this matter.
And more so, even if it was exposed, they would not admit it. The other factions would not stand by and watch, they would definitely speak out in aid.
"Fine!" Feng Yan nodded reluctantly, after all, he had already been exposed now, and there was no point in saying more about it.
Next, as Ashina Zhenlu had said, everything went on smoothly and orderly, with no accidents happening.
Sitting on the high platform, Pei Xuanjing had an inscrutable smile on his face as he looked at the Da Li delegation in the distance, thinking, "So calm and composed, do they really assume that Pei Min won't take action in this place? Unfortunately, I'm not the original Pei Min!"
If it were the original Pei Min, considering his family's concerns, he might have endured them all.
But the key point is, Pei Xuanjing is not Pei Min!
In Pei Xuanjing's view, he has nothing to fear, he could abandon everything in this world.
After all, the life simulation has come this far, he has already gained enough.
It's clear that Pei Xuanjing is not the kind of person who grins and bears it. The reason why he let the other party go on Long Street that day was simply that he found it troublesome.
Today, since the other party dares to appear before him, Pei Xuanjing naturally won't show any mercy.
As for the so-called general situation?
All nonsense!
In Pei Xuanjing's view, he himself is the true general situation.
At this moment, with the top three talents of the empire having just been decided
Next is the time for the imperial genius to compete with the four delegations, everyone is eagerly waiting to see if this time the imperial genius can overpower the four sides and uphold the empire's dignity.
Right then, Pei Xuanjing, who had been sitting on the high platform, suddenly stood up.
Know that even if Pei Xuanjing sat there doing nothing, he would attract a great deal of attention. They were watching Pei Xuanjing's every move.
At this moment, his sudden rise caused everyone's heart to skip a beat.
What was he going to do?
Decked in a green robe, his long hair tied at the back with a hair clasp and the Longevity Sword hanging at his waist, Pei Xuanjing stood tall with a light smile on his face.
"Master!" The Crown Prince's face changed, guessing the other's actions.
After all, he had learned from Pei Xuanjing that the person who tried to assassinate him on Long Street that day had come here, it was someone from the Da Li delegation.
Seeing Pei Xuanjing rise, his first reaction was to wonder if the other party was preparing to take action.
According to the analysis of his staff officers, this seemingly gentle and easy-going man is actually domineering and decisive in his bones. The initial cloud contest was one thing, but latter events in the Cloud Prairie perfectly demonstrated the man's personality.
Given the man's character, the fact that he didn't take action when he noticed the person who had tried to assassinate him on Long Street, the Crown Prince had assumed he was just enduring it, but it seemed that wasn't the case.
Although the Crown Prince was well aware that even if Pei Min took action now, it would still be in line with his character, he still wanted to stop him. After all, today is different from the past and it could easily lead to major incidents.
Pei Xuanjing smiled faintly, "Your Highness, are you trying to stop me?"
The Crown Prince looked at Pei Xuanjing, let out a deep sigh, "Even though I know I might not be able to stop you, I still have to try."
Even though Pei Xuanjing's actions could implicate him, he still didn't want to turn against him and tried his best to stop it.
Pei Xuanjing slowly shook his head.
This Crown Prince is said to have a mild temper and be generous, but another way to put it is that he's indecisive and lacks the heart to be decisive.
Otherwise, in Pei Xuanjing's initial life simulation, the Crown Prince wouldn't have been so easily dethroned and lack the guts to fight back in the end.
He knew that the Crown Prince stepping out was not out of a strong urge to stop him, but rather a reaction from instinct due to his identity.
Pei Xuanjing gave a faint smile, raised his sleeve, and gently pushed the Crown Prince away with a soft force.
This behaviour was an attempt to save face for everyone, indicating that what happened today had nothing to do with the Crown Prince.
After doing all this, he turned around, his loud voice resonating in all directions.
"Feng Yan, you attacked this son of mine on Long Street that day. Why are you so cowardly and hiding today? It's really disappointing. Is this how the disciples of the National Mentor of Da Li behave?"
By this time, he naturally had already found out about the identity of the Da Li delegation and discerned who the assailant was.
When Pei Xuanjing's voice rang out, the once noisy courtyard instantly fell silent.
Within the quiet courtyard, all sounds sharply faded into nothingness. Even the birds and animals within a few miles of the garden recognized the dangerous aura and quieted down.
The smiles on the faces of the three young talents who had just captured their rankings on the stage instantly froze. They looked at the figure of the young man in the green robe, filled with fervor and admiration.
This is how a real man should be!
Everyone was looking at the youth, the one with a sword, their eyes filled with fear.
They all understood that him stepping forward at this point, although it justified his character, was undoubtedly a slap in the empire's face.
What surprised everyone was that the Great Tang Emperor, who was seated on the throne, remained silent at this moment, a warm smile on his face, as if he hadn't heard Pei Xuanjing's words at all.
"What a bold and reckless character!"
A hint of a smile appeared on the corner of Ye Daoyuan's mouth, as he thought.
"But then again, how could it be possible to achieve such cultivation without being like this?"
It seemed he wasn't surprised by Pei Xuanjing's outburst, thinking it was only natural.
He even looked at the Da Li envoy's group with a smile, waiting for their reaction.
Moreover, Ye Daoyuan was sure that the people of Da Li would not be able to restrain themselves. Even if Ashina Zhenlu could bear it, Feng Yan could not.
Mr. Min's contempt for the Da Li National Master was something Feng Yan, as a disciple of the National Master, couldn't accept.
Sure enough, Feng Yan roared, "Pei Min, you young insolent, how dare you behave like this!"
He ignored Ashina Zhenlu's attempts to stop him, and didn't care where he was at the moment, because the other party had insulted his master.
"Hehe…" Pei Xuanjing chuckled softly.
"Emperor of Great Tang, are you going to let Pei Min disrupt the martial arts competition?" Ashina Zhenlu stepped forward and said loudly.
He knew that the only person who could stop it now was the Emperor of Tang, so he spoke directly, the threat in his words obvious.
The emperor, who had been smiling all along, said, "This is a personal grudge, even I wouldn't interfere."
The Emperor decisively rejected and shielded with the excuse of personal grudges.
This gave the other diplomats who were prepared to lend their support a pause, leaving them without any reason to speak.
It should be understood in the World of Myriad Manifestations known for its martial arts, every person acknowledges a rule: that is, the battle among martial artists is free, besides the rules of the dynasty.
Surely, if it really happened, it was Feng Yan who had tried to assassinate Pei Min in the first place. Now, seeking revenge against Feng Yan was perfectly justified.
If it really had to be discussed, it was Feng Yan who had allowed personal revenge to disrupt the Great Tang's competition.
However, now that the Emperor of Tang, the host of the event, didn't say anything, what could they say?
Ashina Zhenlu's face darkened, and he said harshly, "Is the Emperor of Tang going to let Pei Min insult Da Li today? Do you think that Da Li no longer has cavalry who dare to ride south after losing the Red Sun Cavalry?"
With these words, all the officials were furious. This was a blatant threat to the empire, something none of them could tolerate.
Immediately, someone asked for permission to execute the Da Li envoy's team here as a warning to others.
The emperor's voice also gradually cooled, "Are you threatening me?"
"I dare not!" Ashina Zhenlu shook his head, "I am just reminding the Emperor for the sake of maintaining a good relationship between our countries. Don't underestimate Da Li."
The Emperor snorted coldly, an expression of disdain on his face.
From one side of the high platform, Prince Xiang sneered, "Ashina Zhenlu, you're just a slave of the Turkic Remnants, daring to be so presumptuous. When you have restored your Tuojue kingship, perhaps the empire will consider you!"
"Hahahaha…"
Innumerable laughter filled the air, full of derision.
The title of the Tang Empire was not bestowed. It was earned through hard fought battles.
They had crushed the Turks and accidentally allowed the Da Li Dynasty to rise, which displeased many people in the empire.
If it hadn't been for the need for rest and the fear of hurting the Da Li national master, they would have marched out and re-conquered the prairie. They wouldn't have let Da Li survive.
Did they not realize how many people wished the Empire would send troops to conquer and use this as an opportunity to earn titles?
At these words, Ashina Zhenlu changed color drastically, a murderous intent sprouting in his heart.
The Da Li dynasty was established by the survivors of the empire defeated Turks. Although Ashina Zhenlu was from the royal family, he was just a side branch. The main branch of the royal family didn't even carry the name Ashina.
The Emperor said, "Ashina Zhenlu, today's matter is merely a private grudge, and the Empire will not intervene."
He reiterated again, effectively offering a way out.
"I understand," Ashina Zhenlu nodded. He glanced deeply at Pei Xuanjing before turning to Feng Yan and said, "We should take action together, and kill him!"
Although insulted by the Great Tang, he knew the current Da Li was no match for the Great Tang, and could only endure in humiliation.
But he decided to kill today the rising star of the Great Tang, Pei Min, in front of everyone, to make them pay the price and lose a potential future powerhouse.
Pei Xuanjing watched Ashina Zhenlu, who was full of murderous intent. He understood his thoughts, but could not agree, even feeling a bit of disdain.
Instead of retaliating against the powerful, but rather swinging his sword at what he regarded as the 'weak', such a person wasn't worth Pei Xuanjing's concern.
Pei Xuanjing took to the air and landed on the largest stage, looking at the group from Da Li, and said indifferently, "Make your move!"
"Since you are courting death, then die!"
Ashina Zhenlu and Feng Yan both landed on the stage, their eyes full of murderous intent as they looked at Pei Xuanjing.
"Kill!"
Feng Yan roared and made his move with all his strength.
Although he was wounded by the opponent on that day and knew that his opponent was powerful.
But now it wasn't just him taking action, but also Ashina Zhenlu, the powerful person who was there to help.
No matter how strong the opponent was, he didn't believe they couldn't kill him with their combined efforts.
The Heaven and Earth Essence Qi around his body gathered. A scorching heat wave rolled around him, and a Divine Saber appeared in his hands, slashing towards Pei Xuanjing.
The sharpness of his saber aura ran wild, tearing the surrounding air apart. The bright saber light emerged, and the sounds of Dragon's Roar Tiger's Howl echoed out.
Ashina Zhenlu also made his move quickly. His terrifying aura exploded. He punched out, and a vast fist power howled out. The several standing pillars on the stage in front of him instantly turned into dust.
Continuous air explosions sounded like thunderclaps, even seeming to shake the ground.
The two of them made their moves, making everyone gasp.
Heavenly Rank Powerhouses, so terrifying!
The nobles present might be well-versed with the world, but they had not seen too many death matches involving real Heavenly Rank powerhouses.
Though plenty in number, the Heavenly Rank powerhouses hadn't permitted the common martial artists to witness their hands-on exchanges due to their revered status.
The two men now hated Pei Xuanjing to the core, using killing moves right off the bat, almost without reservation.
The horrifying momentum reminded those high-ranking power-holders, who usually thought that Heavenly Rank powerhouses were not that great, about the dreadful nature of a Heavenly Rank once again.
"Hehe!"
Pei Xuanjing didn't care about the two men's terrifying attacks, he just chuckled softly.
The faint laughter resounded clearly for everyone to hear, echoing through the city.
"Such a move is not worth mentioning." He shook his head slightly.
Bang!
A fierce aura burst forth from him, and his primordial Qi circulated vigorously, stirring up a whirlwind around him.
With his five fingers together, he flicked his wrist and turned it into a palm, various Heaven and Earth Essence Qi converged in his palm to form numerous purple and green thunder lights, and he didn't hesitate to strike.
Shenxiao Thunder Palm!
This series of palm techniques was about harnessing the power of thunder. The user had to use true Qi cultivated within the body to bring out its power.
Now, as Pei Xuanjing advanced to the Spirit Realm, the Primordial Qi within his body connected with Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, making him more efficient in using it. The power had even become infinite.
Boom!
The palm print and blade light had a fierce collision, stirring up a ferocious Qi wave, it even shook the ground.
Such a horrible palm technique!
Ashina Zhenlu and Feng Yan looked at each other, their hearts couldn't help but tremble.
"Kill!"
They made their move again, with blade light and fist force bombarding out.
Heaven and Earth changes around them, on one side, the blade light was so bright that Feng Yan's figure seemed to have disappeared.
On the other side, the sky was extremely gloomy, black clouds pressed the city, a strong killing intent radiated from Ashina Zhenlu, it seemed like the roaring and howling of tigers and wolves echoed around him.
They split to the left and right and once again attacked Pei Xuanjing.
Bang!
With the thunder rising from the ground, Pei Xuanjing sneered, absorbing Heaven and Earth Essence Qi like crazy, it raised a gust of wind and invoked the power of wind and thunder.
He repeatedly slapped his palms as if countless thunderbolts were bombarding the two men.
"Hmph!"
Ashina Zhenlu jumped up as if he were a tiger in his own territory, majestic and aggressive. His terrifying fist was full of killing intention, and it burst out with overwhelming power.
Bang!
The fierce and domineering blows collided, a blinding, hot light burst from the center, numerous violent Qi waves rolled out from the point where the two men were fighting.
Just at this moment, a blade light suddenly appeared without any warning, as if it came out of thin air.
At this time, Pei Xuanjing had just collided fists with Ashina Zhenlu and was heavily impacted, he was caught off guard. This knife attack was too ruthless and crafty.
Many people watching from a distance were shocked to see this sudden knife attack. Even many Heavenly Rank powerhouses present couldn't help getting the chills because if they were to put themselves in that position, they wouldn't have been able to dodge it either.
"It's in vain!" Pei Xuanjing, who was facing this sudden knife attack, didn't care at all.
For others, Feng Yan's disappearing act may have seemed extremely strange. He chose the right timing which was almost perfect opportunity.
But don't forget, Pei Xuanjing's sword intention still remained in Feng Yan's body. Even though he had segregated the sword intention, it was still ineffective.
It could be said that Pei Xuanjing can easily sense Feng Yan's location regardless of where he is. From others' perspective, Feng Yan using blade light to hide his figure seemed clever and magical, but for Pei Xuanjing, it was just a joke.
What Feng Yan didn't know was that the flaw, which he perceived, was intentionally revealed to him by Pei Xuanjing.
Just as the blade light was about to hit Pei Xuanjing, numerous purple-green Primordial Qi emerged from his body, and his whole body was enveloped by purple-green light.
Innate Thunder Gang Qi!
With Pei Xuanjing's current strength, this skill's protective effect was even more enhanced.
The sharp blade light slashed on the light shield, only making the purple-green light shield quiver a bit, and its original light dimmed slightly.
But in an instant, with the gathering of numerous Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, the light was restored.
Feng Yan's face changed dramatically, he was furious that his one killing strike couldn't even break the protective shield on the opponent.
From the high platform, upon seeing Pei Xuanjing's Innate Thunder Gang Qi, Ye Daoyuan's eyes shimmered, "It's actually a Taoist Profound Skill!"
This kind of profound Taoist School's skill was very rare and seemed to be a perfect fit for him, like it was natural.
It seemed that this man had many secrets! He thought to himself.
Pei Xuanjing's battle intent surged, his robe rustling, hair fluttering in the wind.
A look of exhilaration appeared on his face as he howled, "Come again!"
After saying that, regardless of what the two men thought, he didn't hesitate and threw a punch!
No particular moves, just a simple punch.
With Pei Xuanjing's current strength and martial arts realm, even the simplest punch could bring about unimaginable power in his hands.
Primordial Qi flowed in his body, with hot Qi waves rolling. As he punched out, the air was filled with continuous sounds of explosion, as if the air was about to burst.
The two men looked horrified, their eyes were filled with shock as they watched Pei Xuanjing, his robe flying and hair fluttering in the wind.
With this punch, countless explosions echoed, driving waves of wind, like thunderbolts, horizontally bombarding out.
The one punch horizontally struck, discarding all flashy moves, only pure power added to it, as if all the power of heaven and earth gathered in this one punch that made heaven and earth tremble.
Both men reacted quickly, Primordial Qi flourished around them, numerous Heaven and Earth Essence Qi moved instantly, reaching the peak state.
The long knife howled like a dragon.
Fist force surged like a torrent, vast and mighty.
The platform beneath the feet of the three men could no longer withstand such a terrifying force and crumbled.
However, they didn't care, Heaven and Earth Essence Qi swirled around their feet like dragons, making them float in the air as they charged forth.
Bang!
The sound was thunderous, resonating through heaven and earth.
Violent shock waves swept all around, debris flying everywhere. The strong people who were watching were blown away by the debris, their eyes fixed on the battle between the three men.
Originally, Heavenly Rank powerhouses used the force of heaven and earth and they could only be countered by the same force.
But the Pei Xuanjing right now, every punch he threw out and the domineering punch imprint directly shattered everything.
Even the force of heaven and earth invoked by the two men had no meaning at this moment, it was just a punch after all.