Chapter 12: An Unparalleled Beauty—Just Try Moving

“How could Dugu possibly withstand that?”

“It’s true! Dugu is still alive!” someone shouted loudly.

“Yes, he really is! That’s wonderful.” The repressed emotions finally erupted. The gloom was swept away, the air of desolation scattered, replaced by a surge of excitement.

Though none could say what method Dugu Bieli had employed, the fact remained: he was still standing, alive and well. No matter how wild the raging torrents, he stood firm as a mountain, like an unyielding stone, tenacious and indomitable.

“What happened?” The Marquis of the Sea was astonished as well. His large hand clenched in the air, remotely tightening his power. “Die for me, be crushed into a pulp!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The air rang with successive sonic blasts. That overwhelming, invincible force, stretched like a taut bowstring, suddenly suffered a fierce backlash and snapped. Shockwaves, visible to the naked eye, radiated outward from Dugu Bieli at their center. The bluestone that formed the platform cracked and shattered with a groan; dust filled the air, but nothing could approach, affect, or harm him.

It was as if a solid shield enveloped him, warding off all injury.

“Who is it?” The Marquis of the Sea suddenly realized something, his heart quaking as he shouted loudly, “Is it you, Marquis of the Wind? Impossible, you don’t have this power… Which elder is here? This is an internal matter of the Battle Alliance; I ask you to stand aside.”

A sigh sounded from the void, the voice drifting, impossible to place. “I truly didn’t want to intervene, whether it was his ten consecutive duels or this deadly battle. After all, they are on the same level… but you, as a Marquis, utterly disregard a warrior’s dignity, bullying the weak with your strength. I have no choice but to step in.”

“Why? Is he your disciple or a scion of your clan?” For a fleeting moment, panic flashed across the Marquis of the Sea’s face. Even he could not detect the other’s presence—proof enough that the stranger was far stronger than him. Above the Marquis rank, there were only Phase Masters and… Kings.

An Emperor was a godlike being, never to appear except for world-shaking events or times of near-extinction. For a Phase Master or a King to personally intervene, risking enmity with the Battle Alliance just to protect a humble warrior, there could only be two reasons: either the warrior was their disciple, or a clan descendant.

“No, no, no, you are gravely mistaken.” The old voice replied, frail and weary. “I am neither his master nor his kinsman…”

“Then why do you interfere?” Hearing this, the Marquis of the Sea’s spirits lifted, sensing hope. He hurried to explain, “If you disapprove of my conduct, I can explain afterward. I have my own difficulties—I had no choice but to act. Ordinarily, how could I involve myself with a lowly warrior? But this concerns the internal affairs of the Battle Alliance; I must answer for it.”

“Oh? So you must kill him?” The elder’s voice floated about, elusive and ethereal. “And don’t try to threaten me with the Battle Alliance. Even if you had a King to back you up, I would not be cowed.”

“Elder, do you really intend to take on this grievance?” The Marquis of the Sea’s face clouded with dismay. “What’s the point? Even if you fear no King—there are more than one within the Alliance… Besides, why risk everything for a mere warrior who has nothing to do with you? If you let go, the Battle Alliance will certainly reward you.”

“I cannot let go.” The old voice sighed, as if helpless, swept along by events. “He is my student. If I don’t act, and the Butterfly Queen finds out, I’ll have no way to answer to her.”

So it was Phase Master Wu Ying, finally stepping in, no longer a mere spectator.

A sharp gasp swept through the crowd at these words, and cold sweat broke out all over the Marquis of the Sea. His expression was a mixture of laughter and despair. “How did this end up involving… the Butterfly Queen?”

In the eyes of ordinary warriors, the Battle Alliance was indeed a colossus, boasting a staggering number of elites, even able to field teams of King-level experts. Yet for all their might, even such a force had those they feared.

On the Primordial Continent, the true rulers of the five domains were not the Battle Alliance, but the Five Emperors.

To cross that line was to challenge the dignity of an Emperor.

An Emperor’s strength was unfathomable, their honor inviolate. Thus, those who managed the five domains on behalf of the Emperors—the twenty Kings—were also not to be offended.

The Butterfly Queen was one such King.

And she represented, it was said, the most powerful figure in history—the invincible Eastern Emperor.

The Eastern Emperor had not appeared for a thousand years, yet her power still echoed down the ages; none dared provoke her.

Of course, even if the Emperor herself was absent, the Butterfly Queen was not to be underestimated. Among the Kings, her strength was among the very greatest. It was said that once, a King of the Battle Alliance, infatuated with her beauty, declared he would challenge her, and if victorious, claim her as his wife.

He died.

He died mysteriously, without so much as a scratch on him. The Battle Alliance kept a silent vigil.

Such was the majesty and fearsome reputation of the Butterfly Queen.

The implication in the old man’s words sent terror through the Marquis of the Sea. If Kings could die so easily, what hope did a mere Marquis have?

“Ah…” Wu Ying, still unseen, sighed yet again before he spoke. “You didn’t even learn who he is, yet you dared unleash a killing blow. You truly are bold.”

“Nonsense—no, something’s wrong.” The Marquis abruptly realized, “If he was under the Butterfly Queen’s protection, why would he be a mere warrior? Why would he have to fight for rewards in the arena? And Elder, though you are stronger than I, you dare not reveal yourself—surely you are only invoking her name.”

The more he spoke, the more his thoughts flowed, his face breaking into a wild, triumphant grin. “Ha! That’s it! Elder, I advise you to withdraw at once, and I’ll let this matter drop and never spread word of it. Otherwise, if the Butterfly Queen learns of this, you will not fare well…”

“Fool!” Wu Ying seemed to lose patience, his voice tinged with anger. “I gave you a chance, and you wasted it—truly beyond redemption! When I said ‘student,’ did you really not understand? The Butterfly Queen founded the Butterfly Academy, and this boy is one of its students. You must know her rules, you should know her temper, you fool—you deserve death!”

“Ah—!” At these words, the Marquis of the Sea shuddered violently, his face drained of color. Without a word, he shot into the sky, desperate to escape.

“You think you can flee from me?” Wu Ying’s voice was filled with disdain. “Like a shadow, inseparable!”

As he spoke, a ghostly hand suddenly emerged behind the Marquis’s head, slicing sideways.

“Defend!” The Marquis’s soul nearly split from terror as he frantically gathered every ounce of strength to create a barrier behind his head. “Even a Phase Master can’t kill me so easily.”

“Oh?” The spectral hand chopped down, striking the shield. With a tearing sound, like a knife through paper, it split apart. Still a foot from his neck, yet under that external force, a gash opened on the Marquis’s neck and blood poured out.

“Escape!”

A Marquis was a being who had surpassed the Traveler rank. Even as Travelers, warriors mastered special techniques—through secret arts, for attack, defense, or escape. The Marquis was no exception; even in peril, his battle-hardened instincts remained. Using his own gushing blood, he activated the Water Escape of the Five Elements.

Hiss—

The Marquis’s speed exploded, streaking across the sky like a meteor, a crimson flare flying far into the distance. At the same time, he flicked his wrist, scattering a handful of fine earth into the air. “Shield of Earth, Five Elements!”

Each mote of dust expanded, forming countless earthen shields that blocked every inch of space behind him, dividing the world in two.

“Ah… to call you a fool is to flatter you,” Wu Ying’s voice echoed from the void. “Like a shadow, inseparable.”

A withered, claw-like hand ignored the countless shields as if they didn’t exist, emerging before the Marquis’s chest, utterly untouched by the world. The five fingers, sharp as blades, crushed his chest as if it were tofu.

“Aah—!”

Just missing his heart, the Marquis screamed, using his blood for another escape.

“If you mean to protect him, then I’ll kill him anyway. Even if I die, I’ll take him with me!” In a flash, the Marquis appeared above Dugu Bieli, his hand flaring with all his remaining might. Tens of thousands of times his normal power surged, distorting the heavens, shattering all beneath a thunderous strike.

“Die!”

“Try to move! You didn’t even recognize my signature move—truly deserving of death.” Wu Ying’s voice drifted, impossible to place. In a flash, his lone, spectral hand appeared above Dugu Bieli, reversing its position for a thunderous punch.

Boom!

The Marquis of the Sea was sent flying.

That mighty hand, so full of power, exploded, spraying blood and bone. Even the source of his power within his palm was utterly destroyed.

“No mercy, then.” Wu Ying sighed once more. His withered, rootlike hand flashed out, aiming at the Marquis’s abdomen.

Bang!

A massive force erupted from the Marquis’s abdomen, sweeping through his entire body. His form froze, then shattered, blood and bone raining down.

The Marquis of the Sea was dead.

The entire arena was stunned.

Dugu Bieli took a deep breath, his heart pounding. “So this is the power of one beyond the Marquis rank? Truly miraculous and tyrannical. Compared with my past life, for all my prowess, I was so weak… I must keep growing stronger! I need power!”

“No matter what the Battle Alliance tries next, I’ll take it all on. My name is Wu Ying, Inspector Vice-Dean under the Butterfly Queen at Butterfly Academy. If you have complaints, come find me.” Wu Ying’s voice echoed through the void, full of authority. “Boy, your death match has long since ended. Go collect your reward—the Chief Steward’s wealth is tempting, even for me… The registration period is surely over, but I saw your effort and talent with my own eyes, so I’ll bend the rules just this once. Go register quickly…”

As his words faded, the eerie, withered hand vanished without a trace.

The Tiger King, after a moment of astonishment, grinned and said from the stage, “Come on, Dugu, let’s get your reward… Tsk, it’s my fault—forgot you were so poor, not even enough for tuition, forced to fight in the arena… You should have come straight to me! If nothing else, at least I could cover your tuition…”

Dugu Bieli smiled faintly; he had no wish to admit he simply feared owing too many favors. Amid the Tiger King’s grumbling, he cradled the child, and with Dugu’s little sister and the wolf, they departed together.

“Exhilarating—truly exhilarating.” The warriors savored the memory, feeling it was worth it to witness a battle between a Marquis and one even greater.

“Hahaha! I didn’t lose everything I bet—hahaha!” Suddenly, in the crowd, Liu Si burst into crazed laughter, dancing with joy.

Rumble—

The earth trembled, dirt and stone flying. The Wild Beast leapt up, its fur bristling. “Damn it, nearly suffocated in there…”

Whoosh—

A chunk of bluestone, hurled with the Wild Beast’s strength, whistled through the air, arcing downward.

Bang!

Liu Si’s head met it intimately. In his moment of triumph, misfortune struck—he fell unconscious.

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